Beyond Thunderstruck
by A-Considerate-Dragon
Summary: Turns out being a Chief is a lot harder than it seemed as Stoick made it look too easy. However, this is only just the start of Hiccup's problems. Aiding Dagur, former enemy now ally, is all it takes to derail Hiccup's new role, and to once again roam the skies with Toothless in a quest to save dragons & Vikings alike. On the way, perhaps Hiccup & Dagur can save each other as well.
1. Eye Of The Berserkers

**Beyond Thunderstruck**

 _ **Author's note:**_ This story I am posting here, does not entirely belong to me. This story mainly belongs to my partner of whom is doing most of the writing. I am mainly helping with some ideas, editing & posting the story here on FanFiction. He is also re-posting the story onto his AO3 profile. I am posting his story here because he does not have an account on FanFiction, and I already have an account with quite a few HTTYD fans here. I will have a link in my profile, so you can personally view or validate what I am talking about. For any news/updates on my stories, please go to my profile.

 ** _Info:_**

This story DOES NOT take into account the events of Season 6 of Race To The Edge (RTTE). This story only takes on board all the events of all the seasons of Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, all of RTTE (except for season 6 of course) and HTTYD 1 & 2\. This story is based after HTTYD 2, so the events of RTTE Season 6 are non-existent in this story.

 _Please note this story is a Dagcup fic (HiccupXDagur), if you don't like that sort of thing consider not reading._

 **Chapter 1: Eye of the Berserkers**

It had only been several months since Hiccup had been appointed as the new chief of Berk and already the Hooligan felt uneasy. Well it wasn't his decision to make. His father, Stoick the Vast- in both physicality and conviction, was mercilessly murdered by one of Hiccup's most formidable foes: Drago Bludvist. The dark and tyrannical villain enslaved dragons using the king of all dragons, a Bewilderbeast. Dragons were not meant to be enslaved, they are friends. And it was through Hiccup's friendship with Toothless that defeated Drago and his Bewilderbeast. It sent the despot cursing at and disappearing into the horizon.

Since then, Hiccup attempted to take his late-father's place as the chief of Berk. Unfortunately for him, the responsibilities of a Chief were not as it was cracked up to be. Plenty of head scratches and stammering occurred while Hiccup performed his duties. Even Toothless felt similarly despite his thorough understanding of the complexities of human life.

Many days Hiccup wondered what convinced everyone that he would be able to live up to his father's legacy. Everyone was always supportive, especially Valka, Gobber and Astrid; even Snotlout. Then again, everyone felt the loss of their previous Hooligan chief and knew that things would never be the same again. Still, everyone moved forward for it was what Stoick would want.

If only he were here to see a new Berk, where the bond between humans and dragons grew stronger to greet the new dawn.

Stoick would be proud of him, Hiccup's mother Valka reminded him time and again however, Hiccup simply could not bring himself to fully commit to this new life. At least the role was perfect for his romantic relationship with Astrid.

Being in Berk has helped Hiccup establish a routine and balance between his professional and private life. It also helped that Astrid was often by his side, from advising with decision making to adjusting his prosthetic leg. She was the ideal partner for Hiccup and everyone frequently pointed it out.

Everyone was also particularly keen with the supposedly inevitable date of their wedding. It was not only customary for Berk to have a grand celebration for his and Astrid's union, but this event would be the first that involved dragons. In addition, Hiccup and Astrid would be expected to eventually produce an heir to the Chiefdom. His mother was especially keen for a grandchild, one that Hiccup thought would fill the void of being unable to care for him when he was a babe.

Nonetheless, pressure built inside Hiccup like an itch that couldn't be scratched. Everywhere he went, expectations were set, rules and regulations needed to be enforced both as a chief and a friend to his loved ones. Dragons included. They always were.

Thankfully, Toothless would hoist Hiccup on his saddle and fly him to the sea where they frequently watched the sun set in the horizon. Just the two of them, where Hiccup could share all his frustrations and exhaustions to his friend. Sometimes they did not need to speak to one another. Simply gazing at the setting sun, listening to the sounds of the ocean and feeling the cool breeze on his skin relieved Hiccup.

For a moment, Hiccup was able to dig deep within him and calm the troubling itch which irritated and seethed under his skin. In that time, Hiccup was not bound to anything or anyone, so was Toothless for that matter. They were both able to calmly coexist in that small pocket of time before dusk ended.

A word or an idea would appear in Hiccup's thoughts and as soon as he tried to grab hold of it-

"Hiccup!"

-it flickered away.

Stormfly carrying Astrid headed toward Hiccup's roosting platform. The deadly nadder landed carefully to allow its rider to land on her feet and walk toward Hiccup with a fond smile.

The remaining sunlight shone softly on Astrid's face which reminded Hiccup to ask himself, how he got so lucky to have a woman like Astrid in his life. A woman who was just as in love with him as he was to her.

He got up to meet his girlfriend half-way with a kiss on the lips.

"Gobber told me that you flew out to sea after your meeting. And since you've been coming here these past few weeks, I figured you'd be here." Astrid placed a hand on Hiccup's face before he could answer. "Is something wrong?"

Hiccup looked down very briefly before forming a forced serene smile on his face. "Wrong? Nothing's wrong? What makes you ask that?" Flustered, Hiccup couldn't help but movie his eyes around like he usually would. Tried as he might, he could not hide many things from Astrid. No matter what he did, she always seemed to know.

"You know you can tell me." Astrid replied before putting on that concerned frown which immediately made Hiccup regret attempting to conceal anything. He sighed then took her hand to the edge of the platform where they faced the disappearing sun.

"Its just-," Hiccup paused for a moment to reflect whether all the things he had shared with Toothless would not be met with as much empathy as his dragon had. Toothless and Stormfly sat not far from where they were standing and gazed at the quickly darkening sky.

"I don't want to sound like I'm complaining but…" Hiccup looked down searching for the right words to say. "Ever since I became the Chief of Berk, I've felt like I'm forcing myself to live up to my father's shoes. Be who he was, as he was." His eyes turned to Astrid who gazed at him with such attentiveness.

"But Hiccup-," Astrid tried to interject however Hiccup continued.

"I know I'm not like Stoick the Vast and I'll never be like him. All I can be is myself and you'll probably say that it's all I'll need to be. I get that. However, it still doesn't stop me from wondering if it's enough." Hiccup looked up to the sky and wondered if his father was looking down from Valhalla.

"That Hiccup Haddock is enough as the Chief of Berk." His gaze fell back to the horizon where the day's final rays of sunlight peeked.

Astrid's left hand reached for Hiccup's right cheek to turn his face toward hers.

"Hiccup Haddock, you are more than enough to be the Chief of Berk, the leader of our people and dragons. I know I'm not exaggerating when I say that everyone believes in you. No matter what the future brings, we will believe in you to lead and guide us. And you do not have to pressure yourself or get insecure. You don't need to go through it alone."

With Astrid's kiss on his lips, Hiccup's worries seemed to melt away. "We will be there for you every step of the way."

Hiccup breathed a deeply appreciative 'thank you' to Astrid's lips.

Astrid's touch and breath against his skin was all it took to render Hiccup's knees weak and cheeks flushed red. With a quick glance, Hiccup noticed Toothless and Stormfly staring at them with great curiosity. It was a look they made whenever he and Astrid shared intimate moments.

They made the look again when he and Astrid bid them to sleep on their respective stables built next to Hiccup's home. They bid their dragons good night before retiring into Hiccup's home. As soon as the door was shut, Hiccup and Astrid were all over each other. Pieces of their armour and garments were dropped at the front door, on the stairs and eventually on Hiccup's bedroom floor. Hiccup's lips barely left Astrid's so did his hands. They cusped Astrid's womanly curves with great gusto.

Their sweat covered bodies and tangled limbs formed silhouettes on the wall using the lantern outside that Toothless lighted earlier. When moans replaced exhausted panting, Toothless blew the lantern which sent embers rising to the night sky.

By morning, Berk was bathed with warmth and the fresh scent of ocean breeze filled the lungs of those who could not help but get up before the sun rose. Being awake first, Hiccup watched his sleeping girlfriend with such awe. He couldn't help but leave a kiss on her cheek. He was careful enough not to wake her before sliding out of bed to prepare breakfast for them both.

When Astrid woke up, Hiccup had just finished preparing the table. She felt bad for not helping him but after a reassuring kiss, a warm smile appeared on her face. Throughout the meal, neither could help glancing at each other fondly and conversed about the night they had. Every now and then, Hiccup would feel Astrid's leg brush against his which turned his cheeks slightly light pink.

They had not even finished eating when Fishlegs knocked on the door. They both shared an all too common look at each other: Hiccup's day as Chief had begun.

Throughout the day, Hiccup was hounded by duties like any other day this week. Disputes were settled, compromises were made, and preventing the twins from causing too much chaos…typical chiefly duties. Today however, Hiccup could not remove the goofy smile on his face as Snotlout loudly pointed out for everyone to hear. He made a smile whenever he saw Astrid, helping others and advising him. Snotloud must be exhausted from how much he rolled his eyes today.

"C'mon! Again?" Snotlout complained after catching Hiccup look at Astrid again. "Are you seeing this?" The shorter dark-haired Viking rolled his eyes then leaned toward Toothless who huffed then approached Hiccup before warbling. The Jorgenson groaned in despair and flicked his hands at the trio before exiting. He ranted something about a family and being domestic that Hiccup couldn't make out.

Surprisingly, Hiccup's chiefly duties ended by noon right after a trader ship visited. Plenty crowded around this trade ship because it traveled to unchartered lands past the archipelago. The other dragon riders were able to find something useful for themselves and their dragons. Unfortunately, Hiccup was too busy supervising and checking for any dangerous goods to enjoy some light shopping.

When the ship left, Astrid tapped Hiccup on his right shoulder to ask to meet him on the platform where Hiccup daily watched the sunset. With a kiss on the cheek and gently gripping Astrid's hands, Hiccup agreed and told her that he was looking forward to it.

But before Hiccup could let go of Astrid's hands, he heard the frantic beating of wings heading their direction.

When he looked up he saw a terrible terror land on Toothless' saddle then it gawked at him.

"A Terrible Terror?" Upon closer inspection, Hiccup noticed a scroll tied to the dragon. He took the scroll and found a berserker stamp on it. His brows furrowed with curiosity and began reading its contents.

 _Dear Hiccup,_

 _It's been a while since we've spoken. Not since Dagur and I visited Berk to pay our respects to your late-father._

 _Speaking of Dagur, he is the reason why I wrote to you. Several days ago, we received information regarding Drago's whereabouts. Before contacting you, we wanted to ensure that the information was reliable, so we went and inspected the place. Unfortunately, we were unable to further explore the area as we were ambushed by Dragon Hunters. Dagur and I managed to escape however Dagur's dragon Sleuther was captured._

 _We returned to the place with an armada, only to find it empty with no trace of the dragon hunters even being there to begin with._

 _We also did not get in touch with you sooner because Dagur refused to ask for help. He did not want to burden you given your recent loss._

 _However, we are running out of options and I'm sure Dagur is growing increasingly worried about Sleuther. I know he is also filled with guilt for what happened. He's not in a very good state and I'm trying my best to help him but there's only so much that I can do. Aside from myself, there is only one other person he'd listen to, and that person is you Hiccup._

 _I'm sorry for asking this, but I don't know what else to do._

 _Please come to Berserker Island and talk some sense to Dagur. Please Hiccup, Dagur may not ask for it but we need your help._

 _I'll be waiting for your arrival._

 _Your friend,_

 _Heather_

"Who's it from?" Astrid asked when Hiccup looked up. She took the letter from him to read it for herself.

"It's from Heather. She says that they were ambushed and that the dragon hunters have Sleuther." Hiccup replied then turned to Toothless with a worried frown.

For some reason, a pang of sadness spread in his chest when he replayed Heather's words in his mind: _He did not want to burden you given your recent loss._

"Hiccup?" Astrid's voice quickly pulled him back to reality, "are we going to see them?"

"Of course." Hiccup replied without hesitation in his voice, "why wouldn't we? Heather is practically one of us and Dagur…well you know Dagur." A small chuckle left his throat which brought a smile to Astrid's face.

"Then what're we waiting for? Let's hit the clouds to Berserker Island."

Last time Hiccup and Astrid went to Berserker Island was around the time before the Edge was destroyed by Johann, Krogan and Viggo. Hiccup and all the dragon riders were invited to attend the annual Berserker Island festival where Fishlegs and Heather got too close for Dagur's liking. Astrid recounted when Hiccup tried to distract Dagur with a drinking game so that Heather and Fishlegs can have some time alone together. Unfortunately, it led to Dagur shoving a cup of wine to Hiccup's lips. Though Hiccup resisted and slightly gagged throughout the process, Dagur would've noticed Heather and Fishlegs' absence. Thus, he drank from the cup and the dragon riders saw Hiccup drunk for the first time. Fishlegs owed him so much after that night.

"I am never going to another Berserker Festival again." Hiccup shivered then shook the memories away.

"I dunno Hiccup. I wouldn't say never, you seemed like you had a great time. You were laughing at all of Dagur's jokes and I don't think I've ever seen you so…" Astrid rolled her tongue at the last word.

"So…what?" Hiccup asked turning to her.

"At ease. I haven't seen you have fun and let loose since." Astrid chuckled softly to herself. "You were especially touchy-feely around Dagur-,"

"Alright I get your point!" Hiccup had to interject, and he was sure that his face started to turn red from remembering that night.

"So much has changed since we last saw them, I wonder how Heather and Dagur are..." Astrid contemplated to herself which triggered another burning memory in Hiccup's mind.

The destruction of the Edge. Ashes and dust were all what was left after Johann, Krogan and Viggo banded together to destroy their second home. To Hiccup, it was practically their main home throughout the years.

"Hiccup?" Astrid called out to him again, sending the Haddock back to their reality. "We're here."

Hiccup and Astrid arrived at Berserker Island hearing welcoming cheers from its people. Both humans and dragons lived harmoniously as they did in Berk since they discovered what caused the dragons to react strangely when flying over the island, then resolved it.

The island seemed more like a fortress than civilization. There were watch towers on the highest points of the island and in every direction. At least greenery remained where pastures were managed by both dragons and Berserkers. The shores had plenty of harbors to shelter boats filled with fish. No doubt these structures were built with the help of dragons. Hiccup had not seen this much change in the Berserker island's landscape in such a short period of time.

Toothless and Stormfly landed at the entrance harbor of the island to ask the guard on Heather's whereabouts. The guard pointed at the stables where the combat divisions were being supervised by her. The guard also informed them that Heather had noticed their arrival and decided to wait for them there.

When they reached the stables, Heather was waiting for them and as usual was accompanied by Windshear. The raven-haired Berserker was looking better than ever. She was probably one of the most-beautiful women Hiccup had ever seen, second to Astrid of course. Fishlegs was one lucky Viking to have her heart.

Silver plated armor made from Razor-whip scales usually covered Heather's attire, always robust and battle-ready. However today, Heather wore a white fluffy dress with some Razor-whip scales lightly woven throughout. There were some Skrill shaped ornaments on her chest and belt. Two were clipped where her hooded cape hung. She walked forward and gave them both a tight hug.

"Thanks for coming, I know you must have more important things to do. If I had known you'd be arriving today, I would've prepared something for your arrival." Heather commented with a soft smile on her face.

"There's no need Heather. You're our friend and we're practically family. We will always answer when you call for help." Astrid replied and placed a hand on Heather's shoulder then Hiccup nodded accordingly.

Heather waved at the Berserkers shepherding the heard of dragons into the stables. The dragons belonged to the combat division which was mentioned by Heather after the Edge was destroyed. They needed to arm themselves in case the dragon hunters threatened them and their allies. With danger in the horizon, armaments became Dagur and Heather's priorities these past few years.

As they walked through the village toward the Great Berserker Hall, Hiccup and Astrid asked how Heather was since they last saw her in Stoick's wake. The maiden Berserker informed that she was fine save for the previous incident with the dragon hunters. A frown formed on her face as she reminisced on her brother.

"Dagur's mood is not only affecting our relationship but also our tribe. One minute he's quiet and brooding then the next he seems like he wants to crush someone's skull with a mace. The latter almost happening several times." Heather winced as she stared at the Berserker Hall while Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other with concern in their expressions. "I know the stress of not knowing where Sleuther is nor where to even begin looking is getting to him, however I wish he realizes that there are those who are willing to help."

"We'll reach out to him Heather, we'll get through to him and help you two find Sleuther. Right Hiccup?" Astrid nudged Hiccup's elbow which made the one-legged rider agree.

"Thanks." Heather glanced to the side for a moment. "Dagur doesn't know that I asked you to come here. I'm not sure if he'll listen to a word we'll say."

"We'll get through this Heather. Together." Hiccup reassured then a loud crashing sound was heard from the Berserker Hall. Several Berserker men ran out of the building so fast like their life depended on it. It probably did.

This was to be expected from Dagur, Hiccup thought to himself. The Berserker had always been this crazy since as far back as he could remember. From being used as a knife target or drowned during bath time or in the beach, Hiccup did not bat an eye when Dagur took control of the Berserker tribe and was titled Deranged. Having his life threatened several times by Dagur was enough testament for Hiccup to know that instability coexisted with the Berserker. There were only a few times when Dagur showed signs of benevolence and non-derange-ness.

When Hiccup almost lost himself to despair because of Viggo and the dragon hunters, Dagur was there to rescue him and Toothless. His Night Fury even allowed Dagur to ride him and against all odds, saved Hiccup and earned his and Toothless' trust. Even when the Edge was destroyed, Dagur was there to give support just as much as Heather did.

Time after time, Dagur continued to serve an example of self-determination even when the rest of the world and himself thought otherwise. Both Dagur and Heather had changed so much, together and for the better.

Although, they still had a lot of differences. In terms of their personalities, Heather displayed more natural composure while Dagur still meditated just to calm himself. Secondly, Dagur and Heather looked nothing alike. One could almost mistake them as strangers to one another than loving siblings. Other than their green eyes, Berserker traits and bloodline, Heather and Dagur had very little in common. No doubt Heather's good-looks alone would be enough to turn heads in a room rather than Dagur's blood-lust mug.

The Berserker Hall stood high with a statue of a Skrill's bust hanging above the main entrance. The windows had Skrills decorated on the glass. Hiccup gulped at the imposing structure which he thought signified the Berserker people's long history before Oswald came into power. The design was no doubt encouraged by Dagur to maintain a menacing atmosphere.

Upon entering the hall, large statues of chiefs past stood in rows across the room leading up to a red-headed figure whose purple cape depicted as one would guess, another Skrill insignia. Dagur had his back turned to them while his arms rested on the table.

"Dagur." Heather called out with a hint of anxiety in her voice. "You have visitors."

A deep sigh escaped her brother before his shoulders slumped. "For the last time Heather, I'm busy and don't want to be disturbed. Tell One-legged Boris and his boyfriend that I will attend to their problems once I've finished with my business."

Hiccup and Astrid looked at each other confusedly for a second before a knowing smile appeared on Astrid's face.

"Last time I checked Hiccup isn't One-legged Boris," Astrid crossed her arms and answered which startled the Berserker. "One-legged, he may be but Boris- I don't think so." She added before the Berserker chief quickly turned around to face them.

It had been a while since Hiccup last saw Dagur because the person standing right in front of him did not look like the man who visited his father's wake. Dagur's appearance had changed since Hiccup last saw him. The red-headed Berserker's hair was no longer shaved to the sides and appear as if he had been tearing them off with his fingers. Dagur's hair grew on the sides and cut short just enough to have the top pointing up to the front. The hairs on Dagur's cheeks had also grew from a light bush to a grown man's beard. It was nowhere as long as Stoick's but the hairs sat well on his skin and exemplified his manly looks.

Similarly to Heather, Dagur wore Skrill insignia throughout his clothes but slightly more pronounced than his sister's. The robust Skrill shoulder pads and belt buckle were tasteful accessories for the chief of the Berserkers. Much like Heather's armor, Dagur wore Razorwhip scales on his arms due to their lightness and durability. Overall, Dagur's new appearance made Hiccup take back what he thought about the Berserker earlier. With slight adjustments, Dagur cleaned up pretty well.

"Hiccup?" Dagur asked, almost gob smacked. It took a short moment for him to register that the metal stump he heard earlier was none other than the new chief of Berk.

"Hello Dagur, you-," Hiccup was about to comment regarding Dagur's new appearance when the Berserker lunged forward and gave him a tight hug.

"It's so good to see you! How've you been?" Dagur let go then firmly grasped Hiccup's arms which were scrawny in comparison to his muscular ones.

"I'm well…thanks for asking." Hiccup replied with a nervous chuckle. Even after all this time, he struggled to grasp Dagur's mood changes.

"And I see you've brought Astrid eh?" Dagur glanced over to Astrid who smirked at him.

"Fortunately for you, we didn't bring the Greek chorus." Astrid gestured asterixis with her fingers.

"Yes! The other dragon riders! How're the twins and Snothat? I'd ask about Fishlegs but I'm sure his terror mails to Heather have been self-explanatory." Dagur gestured at Heather who had anger in her expression.

"I told you to stop reading my letters!" Heather pointedly said to her brother.

"I believe it's the chief's duty to monitor all mail exchanges between the Berserker Island and other parts of the archipelago for the safety of his people." Dagur raised an eyebrow which made Heather grit her teeth.

"My personal life with Fishlegs has nothing to do with our tribe!" Heather stated but Dagur simply crossed arms and rolled his eyes.

"I believe it does." Dagur chuckled softly to himself then turned back to Hiccup. "Speaking of chiefly duties- how are you keeping up with yours brother?"

Before Hiccup could answer, Astrid interjected. "Hiccup's been a great chief. I think I'm speaking on behalf of everyone at Berk and its dragons that Hiccup not only lives up to his father but so much more. We are very grateful to have him as our chief."

Suddenly everyone in the room could hear sniffing as Dagur began to choke up with tears in his eyes.

"That's so touching?" Dagur mumbled then turned to his sister. "Why can't you be more like that Heatherkins?"

Heather simply narrowed her glare then growled out, "Because you invade my privacy and call me Heatherkins! I told you not to call me that!" She gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. The sounds of sniffing eventually died down when Dagur composed himself.

"I'm glad to hear that brother." Dagur placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder. "I know I have more experience being a chief and all since I've been doing it in our teens, but I always believed in that one day, you and I will have the same title. And here we are." Dagur flashed a wide grin at Hiccup before winking at him flirtingly.

"Thanks. Uhh…" Hiccup nervously tried to gather what to say next when Astrid intervened again.

"With that out of the way, let's talk more about yourself Dagur." Astrid grabbed their attention. "Pretty impressed with what you've done with the place, but I heard that you've got some problems with dragon hunters."

Quickly, Dagur's expression changed to shock as he glanced toward Heather. "You told them?" He gestured at both Hiccup and Astrid. "Is that why they're here? Because you told them about what happened?" With teeth gritted and narrowed eyes, Dagur spouted angrily at his sister.

"I didn't know what else to do." Heather defended, gradually a sad frown appeared on her face.

"You could've not told them! I told you that I don't want their help."

Heather spat out, "Just because you don't want it doesn't mean you don't need it! We'll be able to find Sleuther sooner with their help! And besides, they didn't come all this way if they didn't want to."

"I can't believe you went behind my back Heather. Siblings are not supposed to turn on each other! We did before but I thought we were past that!" Dagur stepped forward to challenge Heather's glare.

"We're family Dagur, which means I won't let you get crushed by guilt and be worried sick for Sleuther anymore. I know what it's like losing your dragon, I've almost lost Windshear to the dragon hunters a few times already. You don't have to go through it alone." Heather placed a consoling hand on Dagur's shoulder which was shrugged off momentarily.

"If I needed your help, I would ask for it. It was my fault that Sleuther was captured which makes it my responsibility. I'll find him by myself and that's final." Dagur commanded which made Heather clench her fists and raise it up. Dagur's posture braced itself for a punch when suddenly, Heather rolled her eyes and cried out angrily. She kicked the large table beside Dagur before storming off.

Dagur turned away from her, arms crossed, and expression filled with resolve. Astrid and Hiccup exchanged worried looks at each other before glancing at the main door which Heather slammed shut. The sound reverberated throughout the large room until there was tense silence.

Astrid approached Hiccup to whisper in his ear, "I'll go talk to Heather while you try talk some sense into Dagur."

"I'll try." Hiccup whispered and glanced over the red-headed Berserker who had his arms resting on the table.

"Good luck." Astrid whispered to Hiccup one last time before giving him a kiss on the cheek. It warmed Hiccup's cheeks which were pink for a moment before watching Astrid walk out of the hall. When the door was shut, Hiccup turned to the brooding Berserker.

"Dagur, why are you being like this?" Hiccup asked taking one step closer to Dagur.

"It's none of your business Hiccup. You have your problems and I have mine. I don't want you to go out of your way just to help me." Dagur muttered with a discouraged tone in his voice. Though Dagur would never outwardly say it, he was going through so much.

"But it is my business, our business. You remember that it was me who taught you how to ride a dragon. You're a dragon rider now Dagur, one of us, which means that Sleuther being captured by the dragon hunters is our responsibility." Hiccup stepped closer until he was beside the table where maps and scrolls were scattered on the surface.

"That may be so, but I can't Hiccup. I just can't accept your help." Dagur answered firmly.

"Why not?" Hiccup leaned closer to meet the red-head's gaze.

"Because- just drop it, alright?"

"Dagur-,"

"I said just **drop** it!" Dagur's yell echoed throughout the room right into Hiccup's very core.

With a moment of silence, clenched fists and narrow eyes, Hiccup stepped away from the Berserker.

"I thought that, after all we've been through, you'd see us as your allies. I thought after trying so hard to earn our trust and working together to stop the dragon hunters, you'd realize that we're your friends." Hiccup stomped toward the door for only a few steps before turning to his side. "Now I see how very little we mean to you. How I mean to you as a friend…"

Hiccup grimaced at the pang of disappointment in his chest before turning back to the door. Before he could take another step, Dagur called out to him.

"Hiccup wait!"

The dragon rider turned around to face the Berserker who was teary eyed and frowning.

"You do mean a lot to me." Dagur pointed at his chest. "You and Heather, you two mean so much to me. And I see the others as my friends. Believe me."

"Then why are you being so stubborn? You know that Heather is right. With our help, we'll be able to use our resources to find the dragon hunters and Sleuther." Hiccup stated with fists clenched on his sides. "You say that we mean so much to you yet you're clearly pushing us away. What gives? Tell me why?"

"Hiccup I can't!" Dagur answered reluctantly.

"Why not?" Hiccup stomped forward only a few steps away from Dagur.

"Because it's too dangerous!" Dagur cried out then threw the papers and scrolls off the table. A shock of silence covered the room until every single page landed on the floor.

"Dangerous? What do you mean by dangerous?" Hiccup asked to cancel the silence. A defeated sigh left Dagur but he didn't answer.

"Is something going on Dagur?" Hiccup questioned as he crept behind the Berserker.

"I-," Dagur paused to clear his throat then looked around to see if they were alone. "Can I trust you to keep a secret Hiccup?" The Berserker asked when he realized that they were alone before turning around to face Hiccup.

"Of course. What's the matter?"

Again, Dagur looked around for a moment, his face filled with worry about something.

"Hiccup, I really really need you to keep this between the two of us otherwise Sleuther will be in grave danger." Dagur stepped closer and almost too close to Hiccup's comfort.

"What is it? Tell me what's going on." Hiccup demanded, and the red-headed Berserker conceded with a sigh.

"I have a lead on where Sleuther is." Dagur replied which made Hiccup's brows go up with surprise.

"How?" Hiccup asked and leaned his hips on the table.

"While searching for clues in the Northern Markets, I noticed someone wearing a hooded cape following me. Typical huh?" Dagur's eyes rolled. "When they caught my attention, I was led in an alleyway where they handed me this letter. It's from Trader Johann."

Dagur reached behind and pulled out a scroll tied with a red string. "Trader Johann?" Hiccup gawked at the news before Dagur handed him the letter.

Hiccup untied the red string then opened the scroll.

 _Dagur,_

 _I know you must be worried sick for your Triple Stryke dragon. Not to worry, we'll give him back as soon as you give us something in return._

 _Much like the one your sister had, your tribe has another dragon eye lens hidden somewhere which only the chief knows. If you give the dragon eye lens to me, I will set your dragon free._

 _However, if you seek help from Hiccup and his troublesome dragon riders, the deal is off, and you will never see your precious dragon again._

 _I will have eyes watching you and the dragon riders so don't even think of playing dirty._

 _Once you've decided, you'll know where to contact my messenger and he'll tell you the location of the exchange._

 _Don't keep me waiting Dagur, the longer you decide the longer your dragon is unfed._

 _Think fast and I'll be waiting,_

 _Johann._

"He's holding Sleuther hostage. And another dragon eye lens- here?" Hiccup asked followed by a nod from Dagur.

"Since my father disappeared, he never got the chance to tell me the location of any dragon eye lens. So I went through the Berserker Hall's archives and found it." Dagur reached for another thing behind his belt and revealed a dragon eye lens covered in chrome black casing. "The Berserker tribe's dragon eye lens with the Skrill insignia. This is what Johann wants in exchange for Sleuther."

After Dagur said those words, Hiccup realized that trouble with the dragon hunters was far from over.

 **End of Chapter 1.**


	2. Deal Breaker

**Chapter 2: Deal Breaker**

Hiccup and Astrid flew back to Berk with very little to no words exchanged between them. A tornado of thoughts filled Hiccup's mind which Astrid could sense, but she abstained from asking. She could tell he already had a lot on his mind.

The sun had almost set when they returned but torches throughout the village were lit while the people broke bread in their homes. Silence blanketed the town save for the beating of their dragons' wings. When they reached their home, Astrid led Stormfly to their dragons' stable before turning to Hiccup to break the ice.

"Hiccup, are you sure we shouldn't help Heather and Dagur? Sleuther is still out there and I don't even want to imagine what the dragon hunters could be doing to it." With a hand on her dragon, Astrid affectionately caressed Stormfly's beak to hide her worry. "We could give them our help even if Dagur doesn't agree."

"I know Astrid, but this is something Dagur and Heather must do for themselves." Hiccup answered but the frown on his face only deepened. He remembered Heather's face after he left the Berserker Hall and apologized for being unable to convince Dagur. She stormed back inside the hall with Hiccup and Astrid hot on her trail.

Once inside, a loud thud was heard, and the couple found Dagur on the floor cupping his cheek from where Heather punched him. Heather expressed more heated words at her brother, she called him a coward and weak before storming out of the Hall. This time both Astrid and Hiccup went after to console her.

Following the others, Hiccup paused with one last look of piety and disappointment, then turned to the other chief. Dagur said nothing then got up before turning his back to Hiccup. Nothing else was exchanged between the two then Hiccup strode out to follow Astrid and Heather.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens." Astrid answered but her tone was unconvincing, pulling Hiccup back to the present.

Nonetheless, Hiccup closed his eyes and nodded then stared at the horizon. The sky was almost covered in darkness with the last few moments of sunlight peeking through in the distance. A heavy sigh left him before turning to his fiancé.

"I wish I can help them Astrid, you know I do but Dagur and Heather have other things to resolve and I don't think it is right to get further involved." Hiccup pointed out somberly then Astrid nodded disappointingly in response.

She took off Stormfly's saddle and placed it away, before bidding her dragon goodnight. When she headed to the door she noticed that Hiccup hadn't taken Toothless' saddle off.

"Are you coming in?" Astrid asked while she kept the front door open with one hand.

Hiccup turned to her, took in a deep breath before he answered, "I just need to clear my head. You go on ahead."

"I understand." Astrid replied with a comforting smile on her face. She let go of the door to approach her one-legged chief to place a kiss on his lips followed by brushing her fingers on his cheeks. Astrid's eyes gleamed with such adoration that it hurt Hiccup's very core.

"Don't take too long. The bed feels cold without you." Astrid stated then Hiccup reached for her hand on his cheek to place it before his lips and kissed it.

"I'll be back before you know it. Get some rest." Hiccup whispered to her hand before letting it go and watching her walk into their home. Hiccup then turned to his Night fury and with much guilt, they took off into the sky. It was almost difficult to discern both Hiccup and Toothless in the distance because of the fast approaching night. Only their silhouettes could be seen by anyone in Berk but once the sun was gone, they were impossible to see.

It was darkness that Hiccup yearned for and hoped to bury the guilt, by flying past the rock platform and toward the horizon.

Despite the guilt curdling in Hiccup's stomach, his mind focused on the resolve he made earlier that day. Hours before Hiccup flew in the darkness of the night, he was gazing upon the dragon eye lens in Dagur's grasp. Shock had not left his body since he found out that not only Dagur was exchanging secretly with Sleuther's captors, but he is also in possession of a dragon eye lens. They had not invested on the Dragon Eye since the Edge was destroyed and Drago happened. But the fact that Johann wanted the lens would mean that Drago was still out there, and he was in search for something which was why they needed to hold Sleuther captive.

"Another dragon eye lens…" Hiccup muttered as if reliving his life these past few years all over again. "This one doesn't look like any of the other dragon eye lenses Dagur, this-," Hiccup pointed at the item in Dagur's grasp. "We cannot let Johann and the dragon hunters get their hands on this."

"I know Hiccup. Which is why I'm planning on keeping it and getting my dragon back." Dagur narrowed his eyes in determination. Glancing over the table and lens clutched with his left hand, Dagur reached in his pocket to reveal a folded piece of paper. "This morning, I went to the Northern Markets to contact Johann's messenger. The location of the exchange is in here. We're making the exchange today." He waved the folded paper at Hiccup whose face wore a disgruntled look.

"And you were thinking of going by yourself? Dagur are you crazy? You're walking right into their trap! You can't expect to get through this by yourself! Even if you're Dagur the Deranged, you're still no match against their numbers. You'll stand no chance of keeping both the dragon lens safe let alone rescuing Sleuther. You don't even know if Sleuther will be there." Hiccup's eyes narrowed to challenge Dagur's and his voice raised.

Dagur cut the air to the side with his left hand while angrily shook his head to disagree. "I know it's a trap and I wasn't just gonna let them get what they want. I'll take Johann as hostage and use him to make the other dragon hunters free Sleuther, before making my escape." He said while gesturing his hand as if he was holding a box to point at his right before shifting to the left.

Hiccup followed the same cutting gesture. "That's still too risky and you'll likely end up dead!"

"What choice do I have Hiccup? If there's a chance that I can save my dragon, then I'll take it even if it means losing my life." Dagur asked while pressing his left hand on his temple then waving it up frustratingly in the air.

Hiccup stepped closer to Dagur then pointed his right hand to the side. "There are other ways to get Sleuther back." Then Hiccup jabbed his index finger on the palm of his left hand. "We'll fly to the location of the exchange and give you support!"

"You think that's a smart idea? Johann is watching our moves Hiccup, if he gets even the slight sense that you and the others are going to help me then the deal is off, I'm already at risk by you being here! I can't accept your help because if I do, I will never see my dragon again. I'm going to face Johann alone Hiccup." Dagur adamantly stated with a deepened voice.

The one-legged Viking shook his head then stepped closer to the other chief. "Listen to me Dagur, I'm not gonna let you take that lens to the dragon hunters! You'll only make things worse." He said with stomp of his metal prosthetic on to the floor.

The Berserker Chief decreased the gap between the two of them by stepping closer, so his face was right up at Hiccup's. "No, you listen here Hiccup Haddock, you're the one who'll only make things worse! I know you don't want the dragon hunters to get what they want and win. I know that! But this isn't about settling scores Hiccup, this is about saving my dragon."

With that, the two chiefs stared each other down for seconds. Their gazes did not relent as if fists were about the fly.

Instead, Hiccup cursed to his side then slammed both hands on the table. "Argh! There's gotta be another way. If you go ahead with the exchange, we'll lose the lens, Sleuther and you…"

Though boiling rage filled Dagur earlier, he could not maintain it at the softness in Hiccup's revelation. He sighed deeply then before resting one hand on the table to try capture Hiccup's attention. "I know Hiccup, but today's the only chance I'll have to get Sleuther back. Better that than having no chance at all. If you leave this island with me Hiccup, Johann will know, and the deal is off."

The Berserker Chief then placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, the leather gear felt cold under Dagur's finger almost like the day when he visited Berk for Stoick's wake. "I'm sorry brother, if only there was another way."

Hiccup glanced at the Berserker and saw the same sincerity on the other chief's face in his father's wake. Every fiber in his being cried against Dagur's reckless plan however as difficult as it was to swallow, Dagur was right. The risks were too high, and they lost too much from the dragon hunters already. The smell of ash from the ruins of the Edge from memory reminded him of this.

Amidst the crippling weight building in his chest, he took a moment to breathe as Dagur would whenever he was close to snapping. Suddenly, a flicker of Stoick appeared in his consciousness like a phoenix emerging from the embers, _'A Chief protects his own'_.

The words rang truth to Hiccup and something else, something he had not felt in a very long time since losing so much from the dragon hunters-

-Hope.

"Where and when did you say the exchange was going to happen?" Quickly, Hiccup turned to Dagur and asked as an idea began to blossom in his mind.

"This evening, in the place where you found the dragon eye and where the Reaper ship used to be." Dagur answered then memories of the place flooded back to Hiccup like water from a broken dam.

"Plenty of jagged rocks, thick fog and weakened line of sight due to the time of day. It would be difficult getting in and out of there with a ship." Hiccup said to himself which made Dagur raise an eyebrow. The Berserker nodded but he was intrigued by Hiccup's curious expression.

"I know, I think Johann picked a good location and time to use in case I send out the Berserker Armada to go after them. I would do the same if I were him." Dagur answered while trying to read Hiccup's thoughts.

"What is your escape plan?" Hiccup turned to the other chief, face filled with curiosity as if they just discovered a new species of dragon. There was a pause as Dagur wondered about Hiccup's sudden interest.

"I'm planning on flying out of there while trying to not get hit by dragon root arrows along the way." The red-headed chief answered with his arms crossed.

"And if Sleuther is not there?"

A devious smirk formed on Dagur's face as his hands made a fierce strangling gesture. "Then I'll find a way to get close to Johann to grab him by the neck then use him as hostage." He felt the inner derange side of him resurface until the concerned look on Hiccup's face pulled him back to reality.

After a small apology which Hiccup accepted from Dagur, the brunette chief crossed his arms to contemplate. "You'll still be outnumbered, so you'll need support. Up in the air or even holding Johann hostage, the hunters will only have one target and you'll surely be hit…" Hiccup stated as he turned to the other man. "You said that if Johann gets the impression that we're going to help you, he'll call the deal off but if you go ahead with the deal then you'll need help, or you'll fail. Unfortunately for Johann, his plans aren't perfect." By which Dagur raised his eyebrows and responded with a curious nod.

"What're you thinking?" The Berserker asked placing his hands on his hips as the suspense was killing him.

"I'm thinking…" A confident smile began to form on Hiccup's face. "We give Johann and the dragon hunters the impression that we're not going to help you. We let them see what we want them to see and using the cover of the night, Toothless and I will help you escape." Hiccup pointed at the main door where Toothless and their dragons waited outside.

"If you can stall the hunters until the sun sets, Toothless can hide in the night and we'll be able to provide you support. And Toothless is more than fast enough to get to the location before one of Johann's men can warn Johann that I've left Berk." Hiccup curled his hand into a ball and as he stated his thoughts.

Dagur took a moment, with his mouth pursed to think about it. "Sounds good and everything but…"

"But?" Hiccup raised a brow.

"Like you said before, what if Sleuther's not there?" The Berserker asked with fingers tightly gripping at the dragon eye lens.

"Then we take Johann as hostage, and if he wants to stay alive, he'll help us get Sleuther back. A coward like him would save his own skin over the dragon eye lens." Hiccup answered with firm conviction as the memories of Edge, Stoick and Berk burned in his mind.

Dagur was quiet, with a frown for a moment before a wide smile formed on his face followed by his usual maniacal laugh, "MuwahahahahaHAHA! That's brilliant! You're so smart Hiccup! I knew I can always count on you." The Berserker stated before lunging at the other man and wrapping his arms around for a tight hug.

Bones cracked and eyes almost rolling back to Hiccup's head, the one-legged dragon rider squeaked, "Can't breathe! You're squeezing me!"

Dagur quickly let go. "Oh! I'm sorry, I don't know my own strength." The Berserker cooed with hands gesturing.

While Hiccup caught his breath and readjust his back, Dagur asked, "So, what now? We can't let Heather and Astrid, or anyone know about this. It'll be too risky to involve them, and they may not even let us go through with the plan."

The image of Astrid's worried face immediately filled Hiccup's mind, "You're right, and we still need to give Johann the impression that Astrid and I couldn't help even after coming to Berserker Island…"

A moment of silence passed before Hiccup turned to Dagur with an idea. "Dagur, I have a plan, but you may not like it."

Which brought Hiccup back to where he was now, flying above the clouds to hide from anyone who might be looking for him. It was Astrid who immediately came to mind as he was sure she'd notice he was gone by now.

But, it was too late to turn back, both he and Toothless knew that. They had lost too much from the dragon hunters already and Hiccup was not about to let them destroy more.

Sensing his rider's guilt, Toothless warbled affectionately at him. A smile eventually formed on Hiccup's face as he brushed his fingers on Toothless' scaly head.

"Thanks bud. I wouldn't be able to go through with this without you", he stated before staring to the darkening horizon where they were sure danger awaited.

When Hiccup and Astrid left Berserker Island, they wouldn't notice a boat missing in one of the harbors. Nor did Heather as she was in the stables with the combat division, training to blow off some steam. Being the chief of his tribe, Dagur was able to sail into the sea without further questions from his men. Unbeknownst to the Berserkers, their chief was about to undertake a mission so dangerous, they would not hesitate to send the Armada for help.

But alas, Dagur was able to slip off to the sea and even caught a glimpse of a ship, possibly belonging to the hunters. The Berserker chuckled softly to himself.

If he were to come alone with the dragon eye lens, there was a very high chance Dagur would surely get caught in Johann's trap. Possibly losing both Sleuther and the lens. But he was ready to accept his fate so long as it was for saving his dragon. He would not allow the hunters to take another dragon from him again.

Fortunately, Dagur was no longer alone. He was when he lived a life of villainy with no care toward anyone else but himself. Ever since he found out that he still had family left and friends to count on, his identity as Dagur the Deranged became less deranged and more Dagur.

With a little more faith in himself and others, he ventured to the place where Hiccup and fellow dragon riders found the dragon eye.

A place where the waters were infested with feral eels, fog covered the place like it was made of ghosts of the people who perished within, and with jagged rocks which gave the horizon teeth ready to crunch any ship unfortunate enough to pass through.

In the distance, Dagur saw torches on a vessel dimmed by the thick fog while he carefully sailed pass the quickly blackening water as the very little traces of sunlight began to fade in the horizon. Dagur could just hear men on the vessel along with the creaking of his ship's hull. The sound was faint until the torches grew clearer revealing the copper hunter insignia on the distant vessel's sail.

When his ship came close enough for Dagur to see the figures aboard the ship, he yelled out, "Don't come any closer until I see my dragon!" A figure aboard the ship crept closer until the fog revealed it to be Trader Johann, wearing the age-old turban and bushy brown beard as always.

It had been a while since Dagur saw the trader, not since he betrayed them all and stole his sister's dragon eye lens. Today, Dagur intended to give the trader a taste of his own medicine.

"Show me that you have my dragon, or the deal is off, and I leave." He cried out again with Johann and the hunters standing behind the trader gazing at him.

"The fool thinks he can get the better of me." Johann whispered irritatingly at the hunter beside him before commanding, "Do what he says."

The Berserker chief saw the hunters at a large item covered by a dirty sheet behind Johann. When sheet was pulled off, Dagur's Triple Stryke dragon Sleuther was revealed, trapped inside a hunter's cage.

"Dagur! I'm so glad you came, you certainly took your time." Johann grabbed Dagur's attention and stepped forward, so the Berserker could hear. "So cruel of you to keep your dragon waiting in starvation. And you even had Hiccup visit you on the day of our exchange, very naughty indeed." The trader pointed to Sleuther who barely moved and could only growl out weakly.

"I was beginning to think you didn't care about your dragon."

Dagur gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He wanted to wrap his fingers around the trader's neck until Johann's air pipes break and eyes roll to the back of his head. Instead, his fingers dug on to the edge of the boat as he leaned forward to answer, "Heather was the one who called for Hiccup. None of them are coming, I'm sure you know that. I wouldn't be stupid enough to have you call off the deal."

"But stupid enough to come here alone." Johann whispered to the dragon hunter beside him who chuckled menacingly. Johann turned back to Dagur and held a hand next to his mouth to yell out, "Show me that you have the dragon eye lens."

Dagur reached for the item behind him and held it up. Even without much light, the crystal at the center of the chrome black lens glistened for the hunters to see.

A devilish smirk appeared on Johann's face as he placed his hands on his hips. "Very good. Now here's how this is going to work-,"

Loudly, Dagur interjected, "No, here's how it's going to work." With the lens still in his grip, Dagur holds it up at the edge of the boat, right above the water. "You let my dragon go or the lens takes a dive into the eel infested water."

Teasingly, Dagur waved his hand around and leaned it over the side of the boat making sure that Johann and the dragon hunters could see.

"Must you make this difficult? "Johann whispered to himself then placed a hand on his forehead. He sucked in a breath before calling out to the Berserker chief. "Tell me Dagur, surely it has come across in that thick skull of yours that you are at a disadvantage here. Do you honestly think that I was actually going to exchange your dragon to you?"

Tapping his index finger on his temple, Dagur answered, "I thought of that, then again you brought him here."

A diabolic cackle escaped the scrawny trader which echoed in the fog. "Oh, my poor Dagur, it's so sad that you would even think you have a semblance of an advantage over me."

The Berserker noticed that Johann's expression quickly changed from amused to rage. "I bet you're thinking that if I set your dragon free, you'd fly away with it." The trader pointed at Sleuther accusingly. "Well, I'll make sure that you get a dragon root arrow right in that stupid head of yours. Because if anything happens to that lens, your precious dragon here will pay. So, you either give me the dragon eye lens or we'll skin your dragon right in front of you."

Johann's pupils shrunk, and his eyes narrowed sharply as he added to the threat, "Your choice."

Though Dagur hated to admit it, the trader was not only cruel but cunning. Dagur released his sails to sail toward the hunters' ship. When he was close enough, he hopped aboard to approach Johann. As soon as he stepped on the hunters' deck, he felt eyes on the back of his head as hunters crept around him like a pack of wolves cornering a boar.

"Now you're thinking smart Dagur." Johann commented before approaching Dagur.

Even in the thick fog, Dagur could make out the color of the sky, or lack of at least. The berserker held out the lens which the trader snatched immediately.

The trader's eyes focused intently on the item clutched in his hand. The crystal glistened in his eyes like founding a pearl inside an oyster. Glancing to the side, he waved a hand up to order his men. "Hold him down."

Quickly, the hunters were on Dagur like wolves coming in for the kill. At least four men were required to hold the chief down, testament to Dagur's strength. But his strength alone was not enough to escape the hold, nor would it be useful against the archers aiming at him and Sleuther on the deck.

"Ah ah! Don't even try it. One false move and your dragon gets it." Johann threatened with his hand up to hold the archers from firing.

When Dagur conceded, an angry and guttural groan left his throat. The trader stepped closer to stand before him. Looking up, Dagur saw the trader make a devilish and toothy grin. "So typical. This is the problem with you dragon riders. Your love for your precious dragons will be the end of you all."

Johann rolled his eyes then held the lens up to inspect it again. The trader clutched the item and placed his hands on his back to lean down to whisper to Dagur, "You could've been something Dagur, you could've been so much more in the dragon hunting industry but instead, you chose to pursue friendship with those annoying dragon riders."

Pulling away, Johann looked around searching for something. "But where are they now? In your darkest hour, where are these so-called friends of yours hmm? Can't even go to them for help, so pathetic."

All around him, Dagur heard laughter from the dragon hunters and even though he knew it were not true, it still stung.

"I for one no longer care for such attachments." Johann paced around Dagur while he spoke. "As a trader, I make it my duty to only look out for myself and nothing more. All allegiances must be administered in fine print. When you grow attached to anyone or anything, you inevitably get consumed." The trader stated with such conviction that it made him curl his fingers into a ball.

A deep sigh left Dagur before responding, "That's- that's so lonesome."

The comment made Johann stop pacing.

"I've done that before…" Dagur continued frowningly, "…to be completely selfish and care only for oneself. No matter the consequence to anyone or anything around you. I've been through it before and it's…" Flashes of Dagur's evil past rushed back to him like it just happened yesterday. The guilt surely felt as fresh as it was since he changed. "…it's an empty existence."

Looking up, Dagur noticed Johann standing right in front of him with a hand raised to the side. Suddenly, the back of Johann's hand landed on Dagur's right cheek hard enough for it to echo and render everyone quiet.

"Don't you dare presume you are better than me!" Johann spat at the Berserker chief. "You disgraced dragon-loving lowlife!"

The pain on Dagur's cheek began to call out for the inner berserker rage inside him. The side which made his teeth grit and fists clench so hard that the hunters holding him down tightened their hold.

Just as soon as the rage built up, he remembered his time alone in the island where he found Hiccup and Toothless helpless against the Dragon hunters. The very thought of Hiccup's frightened expression from earlier as well as the many others before that was enough to call Dagur back.

Out of the silence, Dagur began chanting, "I am the sea calm and wide, my sense of peace comes from the inside…"

A piteous huff left Johann when the trader realized that the berserker chief was no longer a threat. "Look at yourself, pathetic excuse of a Berserker. Meditating like some hapless lunatic whenever your temper gets a little too much."

Dagur halted his chanting as if Johann's words were just as hard as the slap he felt earlier.

The trader continued with narrow eyes staring Dagur down, "If my existence was so lonesome then how come you're currently at my mercy with no one to turn to?"

Dagur glanced to his side to look at Sleuther whose expression was filled with fear and concern for its rider. "I'm not alone. I have Sleuther."

"Ha! Your dragon? Your dragon will be back to how your dragon loving friends found it: in the arena fighting for survival!" Johann exclaimed before gesturing for the hunters to drag Dagur to the side of the deck. The trader held a hand up which stopped the hunters momentarily.

"And you Dagur, will be eel-supper." Johann added with a cruel grin on his face.

Darkness blanketed the sky as the sun faded into the horizon. "I don't think so Johann." Dagur stared at the night sky and prayed for an angel to descend from Valhalla and save him and his dragon. After a short prayer, he turned to the trader with a smug grin.

"You know what your problem is Johann? You talk too much even though it's a complete waste of time!"

Suddenly, Dagur headbutts the hunter on his left before kicking the other two on the right. The archers fired at him as expected but he dodged them, even using one of the hunters who held him down as a shield, before throwing the body overboard for the eels to feed on.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Johann grabbed his attention as he held a hand up to one of the archers aiming at Sleuther.

Though Dagur felt panic in his chest, he couldn't help but smile at the piercing sound heard in the distance. Thank Odin, his angel arrived.

"I know you won't-," Dagur pulled out some knives hidden in his sleeves. "-but that's because you're alone." Out of the darkness of the sky, purple rapid-fire shots landed throughout the deck. One of the shots broke the lock of Sleuther's cage which helped free the dragon.

"And I'm not." Dagur stated before charging toward Johann with a Berserker yell.

Johann ordered the archers to shoot Dagur and the Night Fury but only one target was visible. Dagur dodged the arrows as he made his way to Johann who ran behind his men. Fire and screams filled the air as arrows and dragon breath were released.

Even though Johann had numbers, they were unable to find the Night Fury in the night and fog. They tried to fire dragon root arrows at Sleuther, but the archers were hit by arrows that seemed to come out of nowhere. Dagur thanked Hiccup's ornate shield doubling as a hidden crossbow for covering him as he knocked Johann's men out of the way to get to the trader.

The cowering trader eventually found himself pinned between Sleuther and Dagur while Hiccup and Toothless took care of the rest of the hunters. Sleuther's tail coiled around the screaming trader and with a single sting, Johann was rendered motionless by the Triple Strike's venom before Dagur snatched the dragon eye lens back. Then the berserker hopped on his dragon's back before soaring into the sky and dropping Johann's paralyzed body into the water which was immediately ripped to pieces by hungry eels.

A final plasma blast pierced through the boat's deck to the hull which sealed the fate of the dragon hunters on board.

"That was amazing muwahahahaHAHA!" Dagur clamored as he petted the back of Sleuther's head. Beside him, the Night Fury soared with Hiccup wearing a wide grin and filled with relief. Dagur turned to both Hiccup and Toothless and gleefully exclaimed, "We did it Hiccup! We got Sleuther back!"

"And we get to keep the dragon eye lens safe from the dragon hunters." Hiccup added before receiving a firm nod from Dagur. Turning to the horizon, Hiccup took in a deep breath of the sea breeze as relief spread in his chest. "Let's head back to Berk, bud."

 **End of Chapter 2.**


	3. Hunters and Berserkers

**Chapter 3: Hunters and Berserkers**

The moon was in its zenith when Dagur and Hiccup decided to land on an island to stay the night. As much as Hiccup wished to be in the arms of his fiancé and apologize for everything, Dagur's dragon Sleuther could barely keep itself in the air let alone its rider. Fortunately for them, the island they settled in had a few wild dragons but not threatening enough to worry them.

Hand in hand, both dragon riders worked together to catch some fish for Sleuther. The scorpion tailed dragon practically inhaled the meal before warbling affectionately at Dagur, Hiccup and Toothless. When they finished their meals, the four gathered around the campfire they made next to a cave. Stars scattered across the skies and Dagur may have spotted a shooting star or two.

"Thanks for helping me out Hiccup. I wouldn't have Sleuther back if it weren't for you and Toothless." The Berserker turned to the one legged rider who brushed his fingers on Toothless affectionately.

With a soft smile, Hiccup responded to the Berserker. "Don't mention it. Besides, Toothless and I couldn't have done it alone either." Hiccup paused for a moment, then spoke, "Before we came, you faced the dragon hunters all by yourself. To see you risk so much for your dragon, it's quite touching."

"I learned it from none other than you Hiccup. Your relationship with Toothless is definitely something to look up to." A wide smile formed on Dagur's face when he glanced at both dragon and rider.

"Thanks Dagur." Somehow, a blush began to form on Hiccup's face which compelled him to look away. Quickly, the brunette extrapolated, "I know what it's like losing your dragon. It's scary and you get sick with worry to the point you can't even think straight. We're both dragon riders so we look out for each other."

"I'm glad I have you and Toothless to count on." The Berserker brushed his fingers on his dragon's scaly hide. Eventually, a deep frown began to form on his face. "And I'm sorry..."

"For what?" The brunette chief raised an eyebrow.

Glancing at Hiccup, Dagur sighed deeply before answering. "I know you had to lie to Astrid and everyone just to help me. When we get back to Berk, I'll take full responsibility."

Hiccup placed a hand on his chest then commented, "Dagur you don't have to do that. You didn't force me into helping you. I wanted to help. Which means I'm just as guilty of lying as you."

"But still, I know you and Astrid are together and couples shouldn't be keeping things from each other."

Hiccup nodded his head slightly, "I know but what's done is done. I only did it to save Sleuther, and I'm sure Astrid will understand. I know she will." The brunette glanced up to the sky imagining the worry Astrid must be feeling. Deep down, he had to remind himself that Astrid was more compassionate than meets the eye. "She'll probably tear me a new one first but I'm sure she'll forgive me."

The Hooligan didn't notice that Dagur had been watching his expression make a goofy smile this entire time. "You two are really close." Dagur added to grab the other man's attention.

"Well yeah, we're betrothed and all." Scratching the back of his head, Hiccup answered and stared at the ground afraid that Dagur noticed the redness on his cheeks.

And the Berserker certainly noticed. "Must be nice."

A few seconds passed which allowed the two men inhale the fresh ocean breeze and let the slight awkwardness settle. Then Dagur reached behind him to grab an item before presenting it to Hiccup. "Here."

The one-legged chief raised his eyebrow again, "Why are you giving me this?"

A small snicker escaped Dagur before answering, "I know you've been itching to see what's inside the lens. Go ahead, I was gonna give it to you once I get Sleuther back."

Hiccup stared at the chrome black item before him. The dancing flames of the campfire glistened on the jewel in the middle as if it was calling out to him.

Suddenly, Hiccup snapped out of the trance and blinked several times, "As much as I'd like to, I think it can wait until morning." He turned to the Berserker with a solemn expression.

Dagur's face scrunched up, demanding an explanation, "Why?"

"Well I figured, Fishlegs and the others will be thrilled to see it. They're also dragon riders, they'd love to see what's in it. Besides, I'm sure we're all tired from everything that's happened tonight." Hiccup's gaze moved to Sleuther who was already fast asleep. When Dagur noticed his dragon as well as Toothless softly snoring, he agreed with a nod.

"Alrighty if you say so." The Berserker added while Hiccup adjusted himself, removed his prosthetic leg then laid on his back with his head resting on Toothless' tail which was curled around both dragon and rider. Dagur also shifted to position, his head resting on Sleuther's tail and back turned to Hiccup.

Before sleep claimed him, he called out from under his breath, "Hey Hiccup?"

Not a second later, the other man responded, "Yes Dagur?"

"I know I've said it already but thanks again. For everything." Dagur answered as he gazed upon his precious dragon. He heard Hiccup shuffle behind him. The one-legged man took a moment to appreciate the sight of both Dagur and Sleuther as it reminded him of Toothless and himself.

A gentle smile appeared on Hiccup's face as he returned to his position.

"Good night Dagur."

"Good night, brother." The Berserker replied before sleep claimed them both.

A sea of flames engulfed every trace of color in the Edge. Volcanic gases, poisonous to their lungs, prevented the riders from getting any closer as they watched their homes destroyed right before their very eyes.

Next minute, Hiccup found himself in front of Toothless, feral under the control of Drago's Bewilderbeast. His Night Fury, supposedly his best friend, had its mouth opened and ready to fire a deadly plasma blast. In a flash, Stoick the Vast shielded his son but at the cost of his own life.

From afar, Hiccup saw his father's boat ablaze before the fog devoured it. Suddenly, flames emerged all around him making it almost impossible to breathe. When he called out, Toothless galloped to his side. He hopped aboard his dragon before launching to the air. Behind him, snake like flames reached for his dragon's artificial tail fin. His dragon's wings, tried as the might, could not keep them both midair.

As a result, both dragon and rider were sent plummeting to the consuming flames where not even Hiccup's screams could reach anyone.

"Gaaaah!" Hiccup yelled and woke himself up.

He looked around, checking if the others were woken by him. To his relief, both dragons and Dagur were sound asleep. His gaze moved to the dead campfire. Not even a single trace of embers could be found.

Even in the dark, Hiccup could still see his Night Fury. He gently petted his dragon's head before a sigh escaped his chest. Usually Astrid would be there to comfort him whenever he had these nightmares however, he was pleased to know that Toothless was by his side.

Yawningly, Hiccup laid on his back as sleep slowly claimed him once more for the night.

Unbeknownst to the one-legged chief, Dagur was wide awake the entire time, ever since Hiccup's thrashing began. He figured to spare Hiccup the awkwardness by feigning sleep.

Deep down, the Berserker desired to soothe the other man, but he buried the thought before it lingered any further.

The sun was already high up in the sky by the time Hiccup woke up. When he looked around only Sleuther lied beside him, basking in the warm sunlight, "Good morning Hiccup!"

He turned to the direction of the voice and found Dagur walking toward them with Toothless by his side.

"Good morning." Hiccup replied and noticed that the Berserker was carrying a few things in his arms.

"Sorry for not waking you sooner, I was gathering fruit and catching fish with T here and figured you needed the rest. Plus, I couldn't find it in my heart to disturb you, you looked so peaceful, like an angel." Adoration masked Dagur's face which made Hiccup disgruntle in annoyance as he attached his prosthetic leg back on.

"Please never say that again." Hiccup responded as he did whenever the Berserker made awkward comments about him.

"Free compliment." Dagur winked at Hiccup.

Dagur approached his dragon and released the flapping fish onto the ground. Sleuther's eyes nearly bugged out of his head, as he stood up and licked his lips before devouring the fish.

"There there buddy. Here you go, eat up." Dagur watched Sleuther eat and a smile formed on his face.

While Sleuther was eating, Dagur walked over to Hiccup and handed him some of the fruit and berries he had collected.

"Thanks Dagur." Hiccup thanked his friend.

"You're welcome brother." Dagur replied, sitting down with Hiccup to eat.

As Hiccup chewed, he looked over at Toothless who had turned over onto his back and was pawing at a butterfly fluttering above him.

"Has Toothless eaten already?

Dagur nodded, wiping his mouth and before saying between mouthfuls, "T already ate when he was catching the fish. He swallowed quite a few. Ugh!" Dagur made a vomiting impression at the memory of seeing Toothless swallowing the flapping fish.

Hiccup chuckled.

Once they had finished eating, the riders boarded their dragons and resumed their journey back to Berk. Climbing higher into the sky until they were above the white and wispy clouds.

There was a long silence between the two, before Hiccup broke it.

"Hey Dagur, I'm curious." Hiccup began, while he was looking at the clear blue sky above him.

"As you generally are." Dagur replied, smiling at Hiccup as he turned to face him.

"Right… I was wondering how you found the dragon eye lens. Before Heather's lens, none of us knew that the Berserker tribe even had anything to do with the dragon eye or its lenses." Hiccup wondered, this was a question he had had in his mind for a while.

"Glad you asked Hiccup." Dagur responded, taking a deep breath before continuing. "To be honest, I couldn't believe that our tribe had them. I know that the one Heather carried had something to do with the king of all dragons-,"

"The Bewilderbeast." Hiccup interrupted and Dagur nodded.

"When I first received the letter from Trader Johann, I couldn't sleep until I found this so-called lens because my father never told me anything about them. So I started digging in the Berserker Hall's archives and found where the lens was hidden, and some amazing things about my tribe's history."

"Like what?" Hiccup questioned, interested.

"There's a story passed down to every chief in our tribe about the history between the Berserker tribe and the Grimborn tribe."

"Grimborn as in Viggo Grimborn?" Hiccup asked quickly, as memories of Viggo suddenly filled his mind. The hunter's voice resounding in his skull like a distant memory.

"Yes Hiccup. Turns out, Viggo Grimborn's tribe and my tribe have some history together regarding dragons."

"You mean the Berserker tribe hunted dragons too?" The very thought of that made Hiccup's stomach churn.

"Not quite. You see Hiccup, I've discovered that the Grimborn Tribe weren't originally dragon hunters. They were, believe it or not, friends to dragons."

Hiccup's mouth fell open in shock. "You're kidding right?"

"No, I'm not." Dagur replied, "believe me."

"It is said that the Grimborns did not only befriend dragons but also protected them. Which was why they created the dragon eye and its lenses. They needed to record what they knew about dragons to take care of them."

"I don't believe this." Hiccup stated, his fingers clenching hard on his saddle. Viggo Grimborn seemed like the last person he would think of when it came to protecting dragons. Unless it was for profit that was.

"I didn't either," Dagur half chuckled, "but there's more."

"Apparently there was peace for a while between humans and dragons until one day, a colossal dragon which shot out icy water terrorized both races."

"A Bewilderbeast." Hiccup summed up.

"Yeah it was." Agreed Dagur. "Apparently, this Bewilderbeast was left unchallenged by any other dragon and some even thought it was the Bewilderbeast which governed over Gronckles, Nadders, Monstrous Nightmares and Zipplebacks."

"You- you mean the Bewilderbeast skeleton in Vanaheim?"

"Exactly. But I don't think it was that one Hiccup because the records show that all the other dragons feared this Bewilderbeast, not respected it."

"Perhaps you're right."

"Apparently, the Grimborns and Berserkers tried to stop the Bewilderbeast but failed. The destruction left Berserker Island hollow with ice from the inside, some parts of it was almost uninhabitable for quite some time."

Dagur continued, "When it left the archipelago, it headed to the East, to distant lands to conquer more dragons."

"Then what happened?"

"The Berserkers chased after the Bewilderbeast with vengeance, even going as far as following it to the east where they found the symbol of their tribe."

"The Skrill." Hiccup understood.

"It was the Berserker tribe that first saw Skrills take flight against the Bewilderbeast. Unlike the other dragons, Skrills resisted the Bewilderbeast's control, at the cost of their lives. A fitting dragon to us Berserkers, don't you think?" A smug grin appeared on Dagur's face.

"I couldn't agree more." Hiccup replied with a confident smirk.

"Days and weeks passed, the war against the Bewilderbeast ravaged the East. One thing for sure, both Berserkers and Skrills fought the Bewilderbeast together. It was claimed that Berserkers were the first to ever befriend the mighty lightning breathing dragons."

"Many died facing the colossal dragon. Both humans and Skrills suffered heavy losses until one day, a Skrill unlike any other aided its fellow brethren. It was said that this Skrill was titanic in comparison to other Skrills-,"

"It must've been a titan wing Skrill!" Hiccup said excitedly.

"Maybe. This Skrill was not only enormous in size but also in power. It is said that it can summon thunderclouds with its roar and embody lightning itself. Truly a frightening and magnificent sight to behold muwahahahahHAHA." Noticing the episode, Dagur apologized. "Sorry for that, old habits die hard."

"That's alright." The brunette pardoned sincerely.

"Together with the Berserkers, the mighty Skrill was able to defeat the Bewilderbeast. Ending the war."

Hiccup interjected, "Which I'm guessing would mean that the Skrill became an Alpha, like Toothless…" then he petted Toothless' head gently which made the dragon warble softly.

"But shortly after those events, the Grimborn tribe started hunting dragons so the Berserker tribe had to keep their dragon eye lenses away from them. My father never got the chance to tell me this, but it is the Chief's duty to keep these lenses from the hunters Hiccup."

"Do you think-," Hiccup started.

Before Hiccup could finish, Dagur interrupted, "Yes, Hiccup, since the dragon hunters already used one of our dragon eye lens to find a Bewilderbeast, now they want to know the location of the Skrill."

Hiccup then realized the gravity of the item in Dagur's possession, and said, "We need to get back to Berk and tell the others right away."

The closer they were to Berk, the stronger Hiccup's nerves got. Dagur noticed the other man's growing discomfort and tried to ease it by a few jokes but to no avail. The upcoming confrontation rendered Hiccup worried sick.

When they reached Berk, Hiccup's blonde fiancé awaited outside their home with arms crossed and a stern expression. She went back inside their home as soon as Hiccup landed before slamming the door shut. Hiccup hastily trailed to his house with Dagur right behind him.

Once both were inside, the blonde started, "I cannot believe you didn't tell me that you went and helped Dagur!" She snapped with a finger pointing at his face.

"Astrid, I can explain but first, I'm sorry for not telling you. It's not that I didn't trust you-,"

The blonde bristly interjected, "No, that's completely what it is! Being afraid to tell me that you and Toothless are going on a mission alone at night is no different than not having faith in me."

"I was worried you wouldn't allow it-,"

Again, the blonde coarsely interrupted, "Of course I wouldn't! Hiccup, ever since Drago happened don't you think everyone is worried that something might happen to you and Toothless?"

Guilt churned in Hiccup's stomach while Astrid pointed at the front door. Dagur, who was right behind the other man the entire time, stepped forward to respond, "It's not his fault Astrid, I was the one who dragged him into this. It's my fault."

Hiccup's fiancé turned to him with vicious eyes and a scrunched expression before walking right up to him, "You're right Dagur, none of this would've happened if you hadn't lost Sleuther."

The words jabbed Dagur's very core and for some reason, he could not muster the words to contest her. Sensing the other man's discomfort, Hiccup stepped in to interject, "Hey Astrid, hold on a second. None of us wanted Sleuther captured nor did Dagur have much choice. I forced him to tell me the truth and after I agreed to help him, he didn't force me to. I would've helped out if anyone else was in the same situation."

The words rang through Astrid and reminded her of the times when Stormfly and their fellow dragons were in peril. As the memories continued to flow, so did her guilt, "I'm sorry. It's just- to Berk, you are our leader as Toothless is to the dragons. If we lose both of you, we might not be able to take it. I won't be able to take it." She said before adding,

"If we are going to move forward with our relationship, then we'll need to place more trust in each other even if it's a difficult choice to make." The blonde said softly before approaching her fiancé and wrapping her arms around him. The Hooligan chief returned the gesture by wrapping his arms around her before speaking softly,

"I'm sorry too Astrid. You're right, I shouldn't leave you in the dark like that. I promise, I won't lie to you even if it's a difficult decision to make." A warm smile appeared on his gorgeous fiancé's face which made it irresistible for Hiccup to not kiss her.

When the moment passed, Astrid turned to the Berserker who shirked away to give them space.

"I'm sorry too Dagur." She said which caught the red-head's attention before adding, "It's not your fault that you lost Sleuther. You were just trying to help us and got caught in the middle. I'm glad you found Sleuther, he couldn't ask for a better dragon rider and friend."

The compliment brought a smile on the Berserker's face then Hiccup commented, "I couldn't agree more."

Before Dagur could respond, the front door suddenly burst open with Fishlegs running toward them.

"Guys! I'm sorry to interrupt but we have an emergency!" Fishlegs puffed out while trying to catch his breath.

With a raised brow, Hiccup asked, "What is it Fishlegs?"

"It's Heather. She sent a terror mail. She says that Berserker Island is under attack!" The stout blonde rider exclaimed.

Not a moment longer, Hiccup, Dagur and the other dragon riders took flight to Berserker Island. Dagur watched as smoke could be seen even being far out in the sea. Anger and guilt began to curdle in his veins but over time anger was beginning to consume him as he knew this attack had something to do with the dragon eye lens.

Up close, he and the other riders saw Berserker homes and facilities devastated by flames. Some hunter ships were docked by the shores which they instantly set ablaze with a flurry of dragon fire shots. Dagur hopped off Sleuther as soon as he landed on the docks to seize a hunter by the neck with one hand.

"Where is my sister?!" He barked out while tightening his grip. The hunter glanced at Dagur and the other riders flying in the air above them in fear.

"Gak! The…stables…" The hunter managed to choke out before Dagur threw him at a wharf pylon, his head hitting the solid pole and knocking him unconscious.

With rage masked on his face, Dagur climbed on Sleuther's back then raced to the stables with the others right behind him.

At the stables, the bright red-orange titan wing Singetail was found with Krogan and Heather on its back. Behind the caped dragon hunter, other Singetails gathered with hunters riding their backs and chains wrapped around their necks. Just like the Singetails, Heather was also trapped by the knife Krogan pointed at her throat.

"Ah Dagur! Nice for you to show up!" Krogan exclaimed sarcastically, his scar covered face masked a menacing expression as he waved the knife in hand.

Teeth gritted, Dagur spat out, "Krogan! Let my sister go!"

The hunter pointed the sharp object closely to Heather's face, "Hand it over Dagur or your sister gets it."

With some resistance, Heather cried out, "Whatever it is Dagur, don't give it to him!"

The dragon hunter's grip tightened before pointing the knife at Dagur, "You know what I came here for! The dragon eye lens. Give me the Berserker Tribe's dragon eye lens or else."

Hiccup flew beside Dagur before Toothless let out a roar, loud enough to grab every dragon's attention, including the hunters' Singetails. Suddenly, the hunters' dragons shook furiously until the hunters lost their grip and fell. One by one, each hunter was shaken off until every single Singetail, except for Krogan's, were free then flew behind Toothless to face Krogan.

"And you expect us to let you leave the island with it?" Hiccup questioned, a brow raised then threatened with narrow eyes, "Look around you Krogan, Toothless has all these dragons in his disposal. If anything happens to Heather, you will suffer the wrath of every dragon here."

Krogan looked around to check the number of dragons against him. Realizing that he was outnumbered, he turned to Hiccup once more, "Hmph. Have it your way." Before pushing Heather off to distract the riders before shooting flurries of fire balls to clear a way for his escape.

Dagur managed to catch Heather while Astrid knew the hunter's tactic right from the start and followed suit, "You're not getting away that easily." She called out.

Despite being outnumbered, Krogan's titan wing Singetail shot at Astrid from behind, nearly hitting the dragon rider before disappearing into the clouds.

Hiccup was able to catch up with the help of Toothless' speed to call Astrid, "Don't worry about it Astrid, let's head back to Berserker Island."

Then both dragon riders flew back to the devastated island together.

At the island, Hiccup and Astrid arrived to see the others helping Berserkers escape ruins, find family members and calm both people and dragons. Dagur helped Heather, while bruises and cuts covered the surface of her fair skin, walk to Hiccup and Astrid.

"I'm sorry for leaving you sister." The Berserker chief apologized with a heavy frown on his face.

"It's okay." Heather placed a hand on her brother's face then glanced at Sleuther and Dagur, "I understand why you had to go. I would've done the same if it was Windshear."

Dagur reached for Heather's hand and clenched it firmly with his hands, "Now that I'm back, I won't let Krogan or any of those dragon hunters destroy our home again. I'll make this right, you'll see." He stated with so much promise in his eyes.

"And we'll help you too." Hiccup stepped forward and placed a hand on Dagur's shoulder, "We all will." The chief added with Astrid and all the other riders who were listening, nodded in response.

Hiccup sent for reinforcements to Berk using terror mail while helping the Berserkers restore their homes and tend to the wounded. He also freed the Singetails that were under the hunters' control and watched them fly to the horizon.

Fishlegs and Dagur's knowledge on medicine helped them mend those who were injured from the attack. Hiccup noticed that Dagur was especially attentive to the seriously injured, like a brunette Berserker who had lost a leg like he did. The Berserker looked about their age and was not as robust as all the other Berserkers their age. Nothing like Dagur of course, but Hiccup felt deeply touched seeing the Berserker take care of his people like a chief would.

For a moment, it reminded him of his father.

Surprisingly, the twins helped with the restoration as much as everyone. Riding on Barf and Belch's heads, they helped carry wood and caused little to no chaos in the reconstruction. Hiccup crossed his arms and was deeply impressed by their support.

Even Astrid and Snotlout worked hand in hand without any sign of hostility. Heather was tended by Astrid while Snotlout taught several Berserkers on how to mend the hurt dragons.

There were some lives lost and a large farewell ceremony would be held once most of the cleaning up was completed and all bodies, both humans and dragon were found.

Still, the Berserkers pressed forward, with shoulders back and determination on their faces, soon the village began to return to its former glory.

Later in the afternoon, Dagur gathered his sister and the dragon riders to say thanks, "Thank you all for your help. For cleaning up and helping us rebuild our village."

Hiccup nodded, "No problem. Anytime you need help against those dragon hunters, we'll be there. The Berserker tribe is not only an ally to Berk, you're family."

Everyone nodded at the statement which brought smiles to the Berserkers faces before Heather spoke up, "Krogan said that he wants a dragon eye lens from us."

Dagur turned to his sister, his face masked with seriousness, "Long story sis, I'll tell you all about it."

The troupe gathered in the Berserker Hall which was one of the buildings least damaged and quickly repaired after the attack. After sharing the knowledge he shared with Hiccup, Dagur showed his sister and the other dragon riders the chrome black dragon eye lens with the Skrill insignia. Everyone's expressions were filled with awe at the sight of the glistening lens while Dagur continued with his story.

As expected, Fishlegs couldn't wait to get a closer look at the valuable item and lectured the twins to be careful when holding it. The Thorston's couldn't resist scaring the blond Viking by pretending to drop the item but when they did drop it, Snotlout successfully caught it before handing it over to Dagur. Both Hiccup and Dagur glared at the twins, making them shirk to the corner.

As Dagur was finishing up the story, Heather stepped in, "So, you're saying that our tribe used to work with Viggo Grimborn's tribe? As in dragon hunting Grimborns?"

Dagur nodded then his gaze fell at the item in his grasp, "Yes, before hunting dragons, the Grimborn tribe befriended and protected dragons which was why the dragon eye and its lenses were made. When the Grimborns started hunting, the Berserker tribe back then needed to protect the location of the titanic Skrill that saved them from an evil Bewilderbeast."

"Sorry T, guess you're not the first to stop mammoth looking dragons." Tuffnut turned to the Night Fury who rolled his eyes at him.

Fishlegs on the other hand flailed his arms in excitement, "A titan wing Skrill. I didn't think one ever existed. I'd love to see one in my lifetime."

"All of us should check out what's in this dragon eye lens, we might learn more about this titan wing Skrill or even better find out where it's located." Hiccup dropped his fist on his left-hand palm with conviction before turning to the Berserker chief, "Dagur, you do the honor. It's your people's dragon eye lens, you should be the one to show us."

The Berkian chief pulled out his Night Fury shaped dragon eye he had created and handed it to Dagur who gladly took it. Hiccup had not used his dragon eye for quite some time now, and seeing it again brought back many memories of when he lost the original dragon eye to none other than Viggo Grimborn.

Approaching his dragon, the Berserker petted the scaly beast's head before asking, "Alright Sleuther, weak flame." Dagur now placed the dragon eye lens into the dragon eye and held it up close to Sleuther.

The flame's light pierced through the dragon eye and planted a message made of light on the wall. Awestruck, Dagur read the message for everyone to hear, " _Behold dragon seeker. They who hunt should see naught. Friend of dragons may the breath of lightning bring you to the hero of our tribe."_

When he finished reading, silence blanketed the room.

"That's it? I don't get it." Tuffnut tilted his head and started scratching his helmet.

"Me neither." Ruffnut responded after before crossing her arms.

"I think it's a riddle." Heather rested her chin on her knuckles to think.

"Well, I don't know how that'll help us or the dragon hunters. Unless it just wants to confuse us." -Ruffnut gestured her index finger to spin near her temple before Tuffnut approached her with a mischievous smile, "Hey Ruffnut, what crawls in the morning, walks with two legs by noon, then has three legs to walk at night?" the twin brother asked.

The twin sister took a moment to think about, her expression amused Tuffnut deep down, "A monster?" She answered unsurely before adding, "That or a Viking who lost one leg at one stage during the day." Her gaze moved to Hiccup which Astrid noticed and earned her a death-stare.

Troubled, Astrid turned to her fiancé with a solemn frown before saying, "Maybe there's been a mistake. Maybe the Berserkers have another lens."

"No, this must be it..." Hiccup shook his head then focused back on the message in front of him.

"Breath of lightning? Does it mean the Skrill?" Heather asked Fishlegs.

"Maybe the Berserkers made this riddle, so the hunters aren't able to see what's in the lens using regular dragon fire. Kind of like how different dragon fire reveal different things in a lens." The stout Viking pointed out which made most of them nod but not enough to quench their confusion.

Suddenly, Snotlout blurted out, "Of course! The Berserkers probably needed Skrills to see what's inside the lens."

"If so, I don't think we have any Skrills hanging around the island." Tuffnut pointed his thumb to the main door encouraging a gleeful smile on his twin sister's face, "Maybe we should find one and bring it here." Ruffnut pointed at the floor.

The short dark-haired Viking rolled his eyes then approached the twin siblings, "Sure! Why not? If we ask nicely, it might not try to kill us!" he exclaimed which only caused the others respond with farfetched ideas.

Amidst the skirmish of ideas, Dagur read the message to himself before an idea struck him like lightning, "That's it! I've got it!"

"Got what? A Skrill? Where is it?" Tuffnut demanded enthusiastically.

Dagur shook his head then held his hands out, "No, we've got something else that breathes lightning this whole time!" The Berserker pointed at the Night Fury quietly observing everyone beside Hiccup.

When everyone turned to the dragon, its rider questioned, "Toothless?"

Dagur walked up to the other chief knowingly, "Think about it, a Night Fury is said to be the unholy offspring of lightning and death itself."

"I think it's only meant to be figurative." Astrid interjected with her arms crossed.

"Won't hurt if we try." Dagur responded before turning to Hiccup urging for a decision.

The brunette chief petted his dragon's head before saying, "Alright bud, you're up." Both rider and dragon approached the gradually dimming dragon eye before Hiccup gestured to it.

"Toothless, weak flame." Then the dragon opened its mouth to ignite a deep purple flame which pierced through the lens and scatter its bright light wide across the room.

What was revealed made everyone in the room gob smacked and utter, "Whoa."

 **End of Chapter 3.**


	4. An Eye For A Skrill

**Chapter 4: An Eye For A Skrill**

The darkness across the Berserker Hall was cast aside by the shapes of light formed on the rugged wall. Letters and symbols scattered throughout, but one prominent figure was familiar to every single person in the room.

A large Skrill, like the insignia used on Berserker sails and structures throughout the tribe, was located at the center. The sentence inscribed earlier from Sleuther's fire was nowhere to be seen, as new texts spread throughout the left section of the wall while landmarks were depicted on the right.

Hiccup stepped forward and started reading the paragraph made with purple texts, "Behold Odin's Skrill- Dazzling Winged Serpent of the Sky and Lightning. A vengeful angel sent personally by Odin to bring Berserkers and the people of Avatross salvation from the Bewilderbeast of Nifelheim. Dragon seeker, may your heart be true or else be struck by Justice's swift bolts from where thou stand."

Astrid followed and read the text below the paragraph, "Eclipsing its brethren Skrill in size and wingspan that covers the sky."

"Embodies the twisting wrath of storms and lightning." Heather was next right before Snotlout stepped forward to read the bottom last section, "Roars to Valhalla like a harbinger of Ragnarok."

The Berserker walked right next to Hiccup to gaze upon the sight before him, "Avatross." He muttered under his breath as his eyes moved to the section on the right. Mysterious patterns and figures which looked like landmarks and mountains sprawled across the wall, all leading up to the Skrill.

"I've heard of that place before, the large and unforgiving continent in the East." Fishlegs pointed out which grabbed everyone's attention.

"These landmarks, they all lead toward the Skrill." Hiccup stepped closer to the wall where Dagur gazed upon, "If we follow the map, it should eventually lead us to it." He turned to the others whose faces gleamed with excitement and awe.

Suddenly, Dagur cried out and glanced to Heather. "Where the symbol of our people awaits!"

"It's been a while since we explored new lands or had a vacation." Tuffnut commented before nudging his sister's elbow, "Yeah, maybe mentioning the giant deadly Skrill that shoots out lightning bolts can reduce the travel costs." The twin sister added, wriggling her eyebrow.

"I don't think dealing with that Skrill will be as easy like the other one we met." Fishlegs feebly pointed out and braced his elbows to his side.

"Pfft, what's wrong Fishface? Afraid of a little lightning?" Snotlout asked while cockily strutting toward the blond rider then added, "I for one, wouldn't mind meeting this hot shot dragon."

Both the twins and Dagur nodded at the statement. Within seconds, talk of meeting the Skrill and its features cluttered in the riders' conversation until Astrid interjected.

"Hold on, before we start planning on any adventures, let's not forget that the dragon hunters are back." She stepped forward with her serious gaze while watching the other's expressions, "Which means, we can't just go on exploring new places while leaving our homes vulnerable to attacks. Remember, the hunters are after this lens. Which means Drago wants this Skrill."

She then turned to Hiccup and Heather who listened in the background, "He will stop at nothing to get his hands on it."

A symbiosis of groans and cries of 'kill joy' were heard from the other riders except from Dagur who challenged Astrid's stare with his own.

"I'm gonna have to agree with Astrid there." Heather followed then approached Astrid's side, "The hunters will definitely come back to try and get the lens. They tried using Sleuther to get the lens already. Who knows which one of our dragons will be next."

The dark-haired Berserker glanced at every single one of the riders before continuing. "So long as we work together, we'll be able to keep our dragons and the lens safe from the hunters."

"But that Skrill is the symbol of our people! If it joins us, we'll be unstoppable against the dragon hunters!" Dagur exclaimed and stepped closer to his sister.

Astrid interjected with arms crossed, "The key word is IF it joins us. I doubt something as powerful as that dragon will just willingly fight for us. And how do we know if this dragon is still around? It's been ages since those events that it could be almost legend."

"I just know it is." Dagur narrowed his eyes at Astrid's piercing glare, "The dragon hunters wouldn't be after the lens if they knew the Skrill isn't around anymore."

Astrid placed her hands on her hips then approached the Berserker chief with another challenging glare, "It's still too dangerous. We can't just leave our homes unprotected against Drago and the dragon hunters. The safety of our own is more important than your tribe's symbol. As a chief, you of all people should know that!" She spat out as they were inches away from each other's face. Their glares sharpened at every second passed.

"What do you say Hiccup?" Dagur questioned without removing his glare from Astrid.

Hiccup watched as hostile tension filled the room and with a soft voice he answered, "Astrid's right Dagur…The safety of our own is more important now that the dragon hunters are back."

A victorious grin appeared on Astrid's face then she crossed her arms with confidence and a smug expression. The Berserker turned to the other chief with scrunched brows.

"But Hiccup…" Dagur muttered however Hiccup interjected before he could continue, "I'm sorry Dagur but a chief's duty is to his people. The Berserker Tribe and Heather, they need you now more than ever." He stated firmly.

A heavy sigh of defeat left Dagur before he silently left the hall.

By evening, the dragon riders and fellow Berkians reached their island home. Though clamor for supper and rest were uttered, not much was heard from their chief. Hiccup kept to himself throughout the trip as he replayed the memory of Dagur's discouraged expression in the Berserker Hall.

"Is something wrong?" Astrid asked and snapped him back to reality, "You haven't said much since leaving Berserker Island."

The one-legged chief scratched the back of his head before answering coyly, "It's nothing."

"It's about Dagur isn't it? About what we said to him?" Astrid started then continued, "I know how important searching for new dragons and training them are to you Hiccup, but things have changed. We've all changed."

With a heavy sigh resembling much like Dagur's from earlier, Hiccup responded, "I know Astrid."

"It's not that I wouldn't want to see the Skrill for myself, but the risks are too high." His blonde fiancé captured his gaze with her dazzling blue eyes, "You're a chief now, just like Dagur. As our responsibilities grow, the more we have got to lose." She stated then turned to their dragons Stormfly and Toothless who were playfully engaging with each other.

Astrid's gaze moved down to the ground before she continued, "Now we even have the burden of protecting the lens from the hunters. If only Dagur could see that." She looked up determinedly, "Every once in a while, he needs to be reminded of reality."

All Hiccup could do was nod at her for he knew she was right. Nonetheless, he could not stop the deepening frown forming on his face.

"It's for the best Hiccup. Being a chief is a huge responsibility, if Dagur doesn't want to accept that then that's his problem. I hope you understand." Astrid concluded then placed a hand on Hiccup's face.

"Yes, you're right Astrid." Hiccup agreed before excusing himself. She asked if he wanted her to come with him, but he somberly declined.

He then took Toothless with him to fly to the platform where he watched the sunset every day these past few months. His dragon warbled affectionately at him, brushing its scaly cheeks on his own which brought a smile to his face.

"Thanks bud. You always try to cheer me up when I need it the most." Hiccup gently stroked the dragon's head before gazing at the darkening horizon which was sure to welcome his old life back as a chief.

Somehow, despite burying it under layers upon layers of logic and reason, Hiccup wished he agreed with Dagur.

Several days since the attack on Berserker Island, the Berserkers were finally back on their feet. A feast was held between the two tribes in the Berserker Hall to pay thanks to the Berkians who helped. Even Gobber and Valka were present while Eret remained in Berk just in case the hunters strike again.

The chiefs of both tribes sat next to each other during the feast but Dagur barely said a word to Hiccup.

In fact, the Berserker made it his duty to speak with every other person except for Hiccup. An endless refill of mead was provided to Dagur by a servant boy who Hiccup remembered lost his leg in the hunters' attack. Though Hiccup was not much of a drinker, anything was better than sitting tensely next to the Berserker chief whose voice boomed throughout the hall and breath cloying with the smell of mead.

"What's this? Hiccup is drinking?" Dagur pointed out as soon as Hiccup removed the cup from his lips.

"Uhh yeah? This is a feast after all…" Hiccup answered with a raised brow.

"Ha! I can't believe it!" Dagur exclaimed, slamming the cup of mead on the table which grabbed his sister and other dragon riders' attention except for the Berserkers who were probably used to their chief's peculiarities.

"Since when does Hiccup Haddock have any time for fun lately huh?" Dagur asked sarcastically and slightly giggled to himself. "When was the last time you had fun Hiccup?"

"Dagur that's enough drinking for now." Heather tried to grab her brother's attention but to no avail. Dagur made sure that his cup was far from his sister's reach.

"Don't listen to him Hiccup," Astrid stated then placed a hand on Hiccup's shoulder, "At least you're not like some people who have too fun for their own good." She bit out before sipping from her cup.

"Pfft. Hey blondie, I do plenty of responsibility as a chief. I'm just not as uptight as you." Dagur taunted smugly with both hands pointing at Astrid and cheeks making a clicking sound.

Suddenly, Astrid stood from her chair with fists clenched to her side. Hiccup had to reach up to grab her attention but Dagur didn't help.

"Whoa, getting quite feisty there blondie, just remember that I'm not Hiccup. You can't yank me around like a dog in a leash-," Dagur commented which made Astrid's pupils constrict.

"Oh, that is it!" Hiccup's fiancée was about to charge forward until both Hiccup and Heather got in the middle. While the Berserkers and the twins cheered for a fight, Hiccup, with the help of Snotlout dragged Astrid out of the hall.

Thus, the feast was short-lived that night.

The morning after the feast, Hiccup and Astrid spent the day in Berk's Hall discussing the things Dagur had said. Or rather, Hiccup sitting on his chief's seat while Astrid vented about Dagur.

"I cannot believe the nerve of that Dagur! Who does he think he is telling me that I yank you around with a leash? That's preposterous!" Astrid ranted as she paced back and forth before Hiccup. Hiccup merely listened and let his fiancée be, afraid that her wrath would be directed to him.

"But Dagur didn't know what he was saying. Remember, he just had too much to drink-," He tried defending the other chief but was quickly interrupted.

"So what? It's not the truth. It's not like I make the rules around here. I'm just here to advise the chief to make the right choices, is that so bad? What does he even do for work? Meditate? Chant some soothing songs?" Astrid asked but expected no answer.

"Don't you think you're taking this a little too far?" Hiccup asked then Astrid halted her pacing to dart him a glare. The look made Hiccup shrink with fear, "You're right, he shouldn't have said those things."

After a moment, composure began to mask her expression. "I'm sorry Hiccup, it's just, I know since you became the Chief of Berk, there hasn't been much room for fun and exploring. So, when Dagur said those things, it made me worry that he's right about a few things…" Astrid apologized with a deep frown forming on her face.

"I don't yank you around like a dog in a leash, do I?" She asked then Hiccup answered by shaking his head.

"Of course not! Don't ever think that." He stood up then walked to the blonde's side. "You've been so wonderful and supportive of me. Ever since I became chief you have always been by my side."

Reaching for her right hand, Hiccup pulled it close to his lips before placing a kiss on it.

"Where would I be now without you?" He asked which brought a red blush on her face. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips before opening his eyes and pulling away.

"Thanks Hiccup. The things you said means a lot to me." Astrid muttered when suddenly, her eyes blew wide open and brows rose up. She reached into the pouch on her belt and took something out before placing it on Hiccup's hand.

"I've been meaning to give it to you for a while now." She stated then removed her hand to reveal a small wooden carving of a dragon, "It's called a totem. Eret says that his tribe regards it as guardian spirits. I thought a dragon shaped one suits you best."

Shock masked Hiccup's expression as he could not remove his eyes from the object even if he wanted to. "I hope you'll accept this as my betrothal gift to you since I never got you one." Astrid added, meeting his gaze.

Hiccup nodded and held the item close to his heart, "Thank you Astrid, I love it."

Another kiss was placed on Astrid's lips which was continued later when both individuals shared a fiery and passionate night together.

A couple of days passed, and Hiccup's duties returned to normal once again. Except for today, he decided to wear some of his father's chiefly attires. Problem was, Stoick's clothes were enormous in size compared to Hiccup's body which made it seem like the new chief was wearing rags and curtains. The very ensemble brought Gobber on the floor laughing, even his mother couldn't help but snicker upon seeing her late-husband's clothes overly large on her son.

Astrid tried to make several adjustments, such as tightening the ceremonial belt, but Hiccup's waist was simply not wide enough to let the belt hang. Instead, the sturdy belt was hanged on his right shoulder almost like a towel.

After spending the entire morning trying to not give up on wearing his father's chiefly clothes, Snotlout's obligatory annoying comment sent Hiccup over the edge and had him race back home with Toothless. He left his dragon by the stable before shutting the door with his back pressed on its surface.

In his home, he sought some privacy and stared at himself in the mirror for a while. Gazing at himself, he wondered carefully about what he was doing. He stared at his left leg covered in Stoick's leather shoe. No matter how much he adjusted, his prosthetic leg could never fit.

When he realized this, frustration curdled in his veins as he began to remove every article of clothing he had. While shedding them off, Hiccup was unable to notice that someone entered the door.

"Hiccup we need to talk." Dagur appeared just as Hiccup had just the ceremonial belt and underwear left on.

"Bah! Dagur- get out!" Hiccup cried out which made the other man look away in embarrassment.

"Sorry! I'll be outside the door until you finish." Dagur said before slamming the door shut.

When Hiccup put his chiefly clothes back on, he called out for Dagur who entered cautiously this time around. The Berserker chief had redness in his cheek from the earlier event which neither men wanted to dwell on.

The red-head cleared his throat and straightened his back before facing Hiccup, "I've already spoken to your fiancée, but I still need to speak to you." He said.

"Okay, go on." Hiccup responded with a slight nod.

"I'm sorry for the things that I said to you and Astrid during the feast. I know what I said was hurtful and completely out of line so please accept my apology." Dagur stated then bowed his head before the other chief.

Hiccup sucked in some air before crossing his arms and leaning on the wooden pylon of his home, "Very well. I forgive you." He replied.

"Thanks Hiccup." The Berserker had a solemn smile on his face.

"Just try not to drink so much next time or at least let us know if something is bothering you. I can tell from that night, before you started drinking that something's been on your mind Dagur, I was hoping you could tell me." The one-legged chief beckoned with a hand gestured at the other man.

With mouth pursed and brow raised, Dagur asked, "You really want to know?"

"Sure! It's better now than later, I would say."

For a short moment, Dagur tried to find a trace of doubt from the other man's face but could not find any, "Alrighty then…"

The Berserker placed both hands behind himself then started pacing back and forth, "So, aside from coming here to apologize, I've actually been thinking about what you and Astrid said to me the other day, about a chief's duty is protecting their own."

"Yeah?" The lanky chief replied.

"Well this Skrill is part of my people Hiccup. Meaning just like my people, I have a duty to protect it from the dragon hunters." Dagur stated before pointing a finger to the floor.

"But Dagur…" Hiccup protested but the Berserker interjected, "I know you and Toothless can't help me find it but my mind's made up. Just because you choose to live in fear of the hunters, doesn't mean I will. I'll do it myself. I've even come here to draw the map in the dragon eye lens to take with me."

Then the Berserker chief headed to Hiccup's dining table before pulling out a folded piece of paper and a piece of charcoal.

"Dagur you can't do this." Hiccup said with his head shaking.

"And why not?" The burly chief snapped back then turned to Hiccup with narrow eyes, "This is my people's dragon eye lens! I have every right to claim what's in it!"

"No, you can't because you're being completely irresponsible!" Hiccup exclaimed then stomped forward to assert his point. The other chief decidedly followed until they were merely a meter apart.

"Am I now?" Dagur asked with a snarl.

"Yes, you are! Can't you see that you have a tribe to protect?" The Hooligan chief pointed at the door, "Their lives are in your hands but you're too busy obsessing over some Berserker fairy tale!" Then Hiccup gestured his hands at Dagur as Stoick used to long ago whenever he presented a new dragon trap.

"As if you're one to talk? You were the one who taught me how to ride dragons and become their friend! You want to see this Skrill just as badly as I do Hiccup, only you're too chicken to stand on your own two feet!" Dagur bit out with his head slightly leaning to the left and sharpened eyes. "By feet, I mean your foot and metal stump!" He continued, staring at Hiccup from top to bottom.

Without another word, the Berserker returned to the items he set on the table while Hiccup mustered the words to reply, "I am not afraid!"

Rolling his eyes and a scoff escaping him, Dagur turned to the other man to retort, "Oh please."

"I just have people who rely on me, who believe in me! Sometimes we have to set aside what we want to do what is right." Hiccup said with his left hand cutting to the side.

"If by right, you mean forcing yourself to be someone you don't really want to be? Then forget it." Dagur pointed out, his hands made a dismissive gesture at the other man before continuing. "Have you looked at yourself lately Hiccup?" He asked and laid his hands out to present Hiccup from bottom up which made the other chief's fists clench on their side.

"You are trying so hard to live up to your father's image that it's painful to watch. I don't think this was the life your father wanted from you." He spat out accusingly then marched forward right up to Hiccup's face, "I don't think he'd even recognize his own son anymore."

In a flash, Hiccup threw a punch squarely on Dagur's face, sending the Berserker to the ground. The Berserker cusped his cheek then looked up to find fury had masked Hiccup's face.

"How can someone like you know anything about what my father wants for me? You of all people, have no right to tell me what to do after becoming a chief!" Hiccup spat out with gritted teeth and finger pointed at Dagur. Perhaps for the first time in his entire life, Dagur was frightened of Hiccup to the very core.

"At least I didn't become some deranged lunatic who wanted to destroy everything he touched!" Hiccup coarsely bit out, breaking Dagur's heart into millions of pieces and cutting his insides.

At the sight of tears welling up in the corner of Dagur's eyes, Hiccup's consuming anger gradually withered away. The once clenched fist which would surely bruise later began to loosen and shake as heavy guilt began to spread inside Hiccup as quick as poison from a venomous snake bite.

The one-legged Viking took a step back to reflect on what he had done before remorse made him reach for the Berserker.

"Dagur…" Hiccup muttered but the Berserker flinchingly shirked his touch. True fear appeared on Dagur's eyes unlike Hiccup has ever seen before.

"Dagur, I'm- I'm sorry…" Hiccup apologized with his head bowed.

"Don't be." Dagur uttered in reply before getting up, "It's the truth Hiccup. I have no right to tell you who to be after losing your father." He followed before carefully taking the items on Hiccup's desk then turned back to Hiccup.

"But I'm trying to change. Not a single day goes by that I don't regret doing all the things I did to everyone back then." Dagur followed with a sniffle before heading to the door then stopped, "Especially all the things I did to you."

Dagur opened the door and a bright pool of light shone into the dim room. With a heavy sigh, he turned his head to the side to speak once more, "Keep the dragon eye lens. It's safer with you than it is with me."

"Dagur-," Before Hiccup could continue, Dagur exited the house and slammed the door behind him. The one-legged chief, with clothes barely clinging to his skin and head bowed was again left in the cold company of desolation.

Days since Dagur visited, Hiccup proceeded with his life in drab fashion. He could barely keep his attention focused on anything for more than a few seconds before they returned to dwelling at the memories of what occurred in his home.

Even Astrid could not cheer him up. Tried as she might, it could not remove the heavy guilt that tormented and tugged Hiccup's core.

At the darkness of night, Hiccup's nightmares would only once again return, the expression Dagur wore when Hiccup punched him was included, sending the chief whimpering and sobbing until Astrid soothed him. Even Toothless woke up and sent a cry of concern for his rider which Hiccup replied with gratitude. When Astrid tried to convince him to talk about it however, Hiccup declined. Both the chief and Toothless could not sleep soundly that night.

The morning after, Hiccup's workload was surprisingly less than usual, Astrid's doing no doubt. He tried to get his fiancée to admit the initiative, but the blonde persistently declined. Nonetheless, Hiccup thanked her with some tender affection which he had been negligently withheld from his loved one. With the dragon hunters eerily absent since the incident in Berserker Island, Hiccup was able to spend the rest of his day free of responsibilities.

He took the dragon riders, who were also free, up in the air with their dragons for a brief flight practice. Hitting targets with dragon fire livened the troupe but managed to get Hiccup to laugh. The expression was almost lost to the chief for a while now.

As Hiccup's mood began to brighten after their flight practice, Heather arrived just before lunch to pay them a visit, "Thanks for all your help. With our people and dragons working side by side, we were able to rebuild Berserker Island and reinforce it. When the hunters attack again, we'll be ready." She stated while Hiccup and the other dragon riders gathered in Berk's hall for lunch.

"If they attack, I must admit, they've been a little too quiet for my liking." Snotlout commented before chomping on a yak leg.

"We feel the same." The Heather agreed with a slight nod. The riders broke into conversation with one another, asking Heather about the intricate details of Berserker Island's recent upgrades when Astrid caught her attention, "How's Dagur?"

She asked which piqued Hiccup's attention instantly, but the chief tried not to seem so obvious about it. The others followed and asked about him, particularly Snotlout who questioned if Dagur was visiting soon.

"He's fine. He's been uhhh, keeping to himself lately." Heather scratched the back of her head then added, "These days he's been keeping busy but give him time and surely he'll come around to visit."

Just as Heather finished, Gustav Larson stormed into the hall and ran toward them, "Hiccup! There you are!"

"Ugh." Snotlout groaned out and rolled his eyes, "Gustav, what is it now? Can't you see we're busy?"

Hiccup stood up, sensing urgency in Gustav's expression then asked, "what is it Gustav?"

The younger man answered, "You might wanna come down to the beach! There's something you need to see."

At the beach, Hiccup and the others approached what seemed like a boat washed to their shore. Several Berkians gathered at a distance from the boat and upon closer inspection, Hiccup understood why.

A body, purplish and gray, slightly covered with seaweed and damp with seawater laid face down. An arrow stuck on its back with a rolled-up note tied near the quiver.

"A body with a note?" Hiccup asked then reached for the rolled item and noticed an all too familiar symbol on it.

"That's Drago's symbol." Fishlegs pointed out which Hiccup responded with a slight nod.

"Let's see what it says." The chief took the item then unrolled it to read its contents.

 _Dearest Hiccup,_

 _It's been a while since we spoke, I've sorely missed our dance. Hence, I left a body with this note to add a gruesome touch._

 _I must thank you for getting rid of Johann. His company was somewhat a nuisance and a bore._

 _We were planning on getting rid of him if he came back without the lens._

 _Also, Krogan paid you all a visit recently but as expected, he failed to deliver results._

 _Which is why I write to you and that lunatic Dagur._

 _I'm sure you're all aware of the purpose of the lens and no doubt intend to keep it from us, which is why we have not sent anyone your direction. We will not have another wasteful attempt to claim the item but instead, have it given to us._

 _Still I must have you know that with or without the lens we will have the Skrill of Legends._

 _We have more than enough resources to use to find the creature or even have it come to us._

 _The Skrill of Legends according to history is a protector of its kind. Should any Skrill find itself in danger, no doubt the Skrill of Legends will come to its aid._

 _We do not care how many Skrills it takes, we will draw out that Skrill to us no matter what._

 _The lens merely offers a swifter process._

 _I hope this message compels you to decide what's best for the dragons Hiccup._

 _Will it be you or the Skrill that will come forward to us?_

 _Inevitably, one of you will._

 _Yours truly,_

 _Viggo Grimborn_

After reading the name Viggo Grimborn again, Hiccup uttered to himself, "No…"

In Berk's hall, the riders all gathered to discuss the incident that just transpired. Hiccup leaned on the table directly below the portrait of him and his father. He gazed up at his father's expression to plead for strength as his fingers pressed on the wooden surface.

"So even if we don't go out to find it, the hunters will get the Skrill?" Snotlout questioned which the twins nodded to. Then Astrid stepped forward with her arms crossed. The letter held in her grasp after reading it again earlier for everyone to hear.

"They're probably bluffing. They're just trying to scare us, so we hand them the dragon eye lens." She pointed out but Fishlegs had to interject.

"But there hasn't been a trace of the hunters since Krogan attacked." The stout Viking commented which earned a stomp from Astrid. Her fists tightly clenched to her sides then retorted, "That's just what Viggo wants you to think. Can't you see, he's trying to scare us into giving in, but it won't work."

"I'm pretty scared." Ruffnut raised a meek hand and so did her twin brother,

"Yeah totally." Tuffnut nodded before he continued, "I mean, if they get their hands on that Titan Wing Skrill, we'd be in pretty big trouble."

"Yeah, I don't think even Toothless will be able to stop them this time." Ruffnut leaned her head to point at the Night Fury who followed them to the beach and into the hall.

Astrid hushed loudly at the twins before turning to her fiancé and asked, "Hiccup, can we talk?"

Then she added, "Alone." Which cued everyone to leave the hall with the door shut behind.

"I know what you're thinking." Astrid started then walked over to her chief's side.

"I dunno Astrid, I hope you can tell me because I'm starting to lose it." Hiccup shook his head as he struggled to search for answers in his supposedly clever mind as Viggo pointed out time and time again. Unfortunately, this was something that he did not foresee, "If what Viggo says is true then they'll eventually get the Skrill."

"But they might not." Astrid keened for him to turn to her, "For all we know, the Skrill isn't around anymore and they'll end up chasing shadows."

"But they don't know that and neither do we." Hiccup replied with a hand gesturing to the door. "The only way to find out is to keep the Skrill and all the other ones away from the dragon hunters or else…I don't even want to think of what else."

Before Astrid could reply, the Hall's main door slammed open as a caped silhouette appeared in the pool of daylight. It was Dagur and the man's expression was masked with disgruntlement.

"Hiccup Haddock, we need to talk! Again!" The Berserker commanded with a yell which incited Astrid to step in front of Hiccup as if to guard her chief.

"Dagur we're busy." She stated but the Berserker merely stared her down.

"Move it blondie, this is business between chiefs."

"If you have something to say to Hiccup, you can say it to me." Astrid pointed her thumb to her chest.

Before Dagur could retort, Hiccup interjected, "Astrid it's okay."

The blonde turned to her fiancé with jaw dropped. He reassured her by adding, "I'll be fine. Please give us some space." Hiccup presented Astrid with pleading eyes and a pouty expression which eventually made her succumb.

"I'll be right outside." The blonde stated before darting Dagur one more glare then left the hall with the door shut behind her.

"I'm guessing you got the letter from Viggo." Hiccup started without courteous formalities.

"Yeah, and you know what they're planning to do right?" Dagur asked indelicately but Hiccup did not let it get to him.

"I know. They'll use Skrills to draw it out." The brunette replied with a firm nod.

"I know you think it's stupid or irresponsible Hiccup, but we need to use the lens to find the Skrill and keep it safe from the hunters or else they'll stop at nothing." Dagur continued then stepped closer to close the gap between them, "If you won't do it then I will. I'm not letting those hunters use and hurt Skrills. As chief of the Berserkers I'll-,"

"It's not at all." Hiccup interjected, leaving the other man gob smacked.

"What?"

The Berkian chief sauntered to the Berserker's side before turning his head to respond, "It's not stupid or irresponsible at all." Hiccup reached for the item kept safely in his pocket and held it tightly in his grasp. His eyes dropped to stare at the chrome black dragon eye lens with righteous determination. "In fact, saving this dragon means saving the lives of many other dragons and our own. We're not letting the hunters get their hands on this lens nor will we let them harm any dragon."

Hiccup glanced at Dagur to the side which had the Berserker ask, "Wait so what you're saying is?"

Hiccup turned to him decidedly then straightened his back before answering, "I'll help you Dagur."

 **End of Chapter 4.**


	5. Dagur The Disagreeable

**Chapter 5: Dagur the Disagreeable**

Life in Berserker Island had been peaceful and many of its inhabitants would agree. Since the dragons stopped attacking their Island for food and becoming friends with its people, one might admit that Berserker Island was back to its former glory during the rule of Oswald the Agreeable.

However, peace was short-lived when Oswald's daughter, Heather, came across a note left on her bedside table. Curiosity compelled Heather to read over the note which she was sure wasn't there before she slept.

Moving her eyes over the black text, Heather's expression grew grim with worry until a mutter escaped her lips, "Oh no."

The sun had not reached its zenith when Heather arrived at Berk seeking help. With note in hand, she explained to the others of her brother's decision to head East and search for the legendary Skrill.

"I've already sent out a search party, but I think we should still go out there and find him." Heather stated to her fellow dragon riders.

"I agree." Hiccup nodded then turned to his friends, "All we know is that Dagur left without a copy of the map, but we also know he's heading to the East. Due to the distance, I doubt Sleuther will be able to fly him the whole way which means-,"

"He's on a ship." Heather interjected. "One of ours."

"We'll split up to cover more ground or sky for that matter, he shouldn't be that far if he's on the water." Hiccup pointed at the horizon then ordered, "If anyone sees Dagur's ship set fire to the sail, Dagur will have no choice but to abandon ship and turn back."

"But what if he doesn't or if he's in the air?" Fishlegs asked with an inquisitive brow.

Hiccup's eyes slanted with determination before answering, "Then force him to come back. However way you can."

Tuffnut raised his hand to ask, "What happens if we don't find him? Some of us aren't that skilled at looking for runaway chiefs…"

"Or anything for that matter." Snotlout muttered under his breath.

Heather ignored Snotlout's remark as she stepped forward to ask Hiccup, "You were the last person to see him, right? What else did he say to you?"

Hiccup shook his head in despair, "Not much else, I told him that I'd help him. That we'll all find the hunters and put a stop to them. I guess he had other plans than what I was originally thinking…"

Frustration which masked Heather's expression gradually turned into worry, "I know Dagur, he plans on finding that Skrill on his own even if it kills him."

"We'll make sure it doesn't get to that." Hiccup reassured then turned to the others again, "Now remember, the hunters will certainly be out there. We can't risk being captured. If you haven't found him after an hour, head back here to regroup. We'll think of something then."

With a coordinated nod, the dragon riders took to the sky one by one. Before Hiccup could climb on Toothless, he stopped as he remembered something, "Almost forgot, I need to bring a spare prosthetic."

"For what?" Astrid asked while sitting on Stormfly.

"Just in case. You never know what can happen out there." Hiccup went back inside his home for a moment before coming back out to his dragon and fiancée who were waiting.

"Alright let's move!" With shield on his back and spare leg and tailfin in his pouches, HIccup and Astrid took to the sky before separating to different directions.

Hiccup glanced at his fiancée for a moment before Toothless warbled to get his attention. Sensing his rider's grief, the dragon growled sympathetically which earned him a pat from his rider.

"Everyone, I'm sorry. Especially you, Astrid." Hiccup pulled out Astrid's betrothal gift and clutched tightly onto it before he and Toothless disappeared into the clouds.

After around an hour or so, Astrid returned to Berk when she could not find any signs of a Berserker ship in the water, save for the search party that Heather sent out. The entire time, a heavy feeling sat in her gut which she tried to dismiss to no avail.

Only when she met up with the others could she do something about the sensation, "Where's Hiccup?" She asked with expecting eyes.

"He's not back yet." Snotlout answered.

With no words, Astrid furrowed her brow as her thoughts slowly pained her expression.

"Is something wrong Astrid?" Heather asked the blonde who turned to the direction of her home.

"I need to check something." Astrid replied before running inside to check for anything unusual. Her home remained as it was when she woke up, not a single dusty bit of furniture was moved nor were the walls decorated with spare tailfins for Toothless seemed different.

When Astrid's eyes stopped to glance at her dining table, she realized that something was amiss. There was a letter left on the wooden surface and it confirmed the heavy feeling in her gut, "Oh no…" she then muttered as she read the note.

 _Dear Astrid,_

 _If you find this letter, then that means I'm now with Dagur and we're going to the continent of Avatross to find the Skrill. After receiving that letter from Viggo, I've realized that no matter what we do, the dragon hunters will stop at nothing to get their hands on it._

 _I believe that together, Dagur and I will be able to find the Skrill and possibly train it. I also know that there are so many risks. As we said before, we could be chasing shadows. However, we'll never know until we find out._

 _I'm sorry for leaving you like this, for lying to you again and breaking my promise. If I had told you that I was going to do this mission with Dagur alone, we both know you'd be against it._

 _However, if I were to choose between protecting dragons and our own, I choose both._

 _Which is why I need you, the others, and everyone we know who can help, to try and put a stop to the dragon hunters from hunting Skrills. No one should have to suffer and lose their lives because of the dragon hunters ever again._

 _I know you can do it Astrid. I believe in you and everyone._

 _I've no right to talk about trust but no matter what happens, put your faith in ourselves and our dragons._

 _Don't worry about me and Toothless, we'll be fine. Wait for me and I'll come back to you._

 _I'll make things right._

 _Yours truly and beloved,_

 _Hiccup_

After a moment of silence, a deep sigh escaped the blonde before heading outside where her friends waited.

"Hey Astrid-," Heather tried to get her attention before noticing the brown paper in the blonde's grasp. She took the note which looked highly familiar to the one she read in the morning and gasped.

The riders gathered in Berk's hall by noon. Some of their dragons were outside playing while Windshear and Stormfly remained inside. The note Hiccup left had been read by every single person which became the subject of their discussion.

"We should still try and find Hiccup and Dagur. Their dragons aren't going to fly them that far, so they'll definitely be on a ship." Fishlegs suggested with determination in his expression.

"Even if we find them, what makes you think they'll come back with us? You know how stubborn Hiccup can be." Snotlout flicked his hand at the stout rider.

"Both of them for that matter." Heather added with a sigh before turning to Astrid who had been avoiding their gaze since providing the note. The blonde stood up then finally exchanging a pained expression at the others before slowly walking outside the hall. Behind her, Valka followed.

Hiccup's mother stood behind her before speaking, "I'm sorry for what my son did. He shouldn't have lied to you."

Biting her lower lip, Astrid responded, "Maybe he should, I mean, for a while now I feel as if I've been pushing him into doing something he doesn't want to do, being a chief and all."

"Don't say that." Valka shook her head then raised Astrid's chin with her hand. "My dear, Hiccup is only thinking of what's best for everyone and protecting the ones he loves." The older woman emphasized the last word.

With a slight nod, Astrid added, "That describes Hiccup to a T."

A pregnant pause shrouded the two as they gazed upon the village. Even though their chief was gone, the people of Berk carried on with their day. Valka glanced to the younger girl on her side then commented, "Faced by an impossible choice, he made an impossible decision. Wouldn't you agree?"

"I don't know…what would you have done?" Astrid shook her head then asked.

Without hesitation, Valka answered, "I would've done what he did." The brunette woman stepped forward, the wind brushing passed them ever so gently and filled with the sea-breeze smell.

"Toward his people, my son shares many of my husband's qualities. However, when it comes to dragons, he has more from me. Headstrong as he is, I can't help but be proud of him." Valka pointed out before turning to the blonde with a fond smile.

It was infectious since Astrid's lips began to form the same. "Well when he gets back, I'll make sure to get a few things through that stubborn head of his." The blonde continued before being slightly pricked by worry, "I just hope he's safe and knows what he's doing."

"Don't you worry, I have faith in him." Valka noted with surety in her expression, "For now, what are you going to do?"

"Stop the hunters." Astrid answered firmly. "Hiccup believes in us, so we won't disappoint him."

The older woman agreed with a nod and smile before Astrid re-entered the hall to confront her friends.

"Astrid, is everything alright?" Heather asked and stood up from her seat.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." The blonde replied with a reassuring wave of her hand.

"Alright gang, listen up." Astrid ordered to catch everyone's attention, "We all read the letter and know that even though Hiccup is gone, we've been given orders."

"The hunters will stop at nothing to get the titan wing Skrill at the cost of other Skrills. However, we must join forces with everyone we know, our friends and allies, to put a stop to the hunters. We must make it known to them that we are currently in war with the dragon hunters." The blonde stated with resolve flowing through her veins.

"And to the dragon hunters, we must make it known to them that they will lose."

In a small island near the outskirts of the archipelago, Toothless flew into a cavern which engulfed the sea. Underneath, a Berserker ship was anchored, its hull made of sturdy wood and sails painted with the Skrill insignia. On the sandy shore next to the ship, Dagur sat while he waited but upon hearing the flapping sound of Toothless' wings, he stood up to meet his fellow chief.

Toothless landed on the shore gently before Hiccup climbed off to be greeted by Dagur.

"Hiccup! Did you make it out alright?" Dagur spread his arms out half-expecting a hug from the other man but when the moment passed, he quickly put them down.

Hiccup looked back to the entrance of the cavern then answered, "Yeah, I haven't seen anyone in pursuit. We should be fine."

"And Astrid?" Dagur asked with an inquisitive brow but Hiccup didn't answer.

"Let's go." The brunet chief gestured his hand to ask his dragon to approach him, "We don't know how long it'll take before we reach the other region, we may have a month or so to get there by boat I guess."

"Alrighty." Dagur nodded with a wide smile. "Hop on board and welcome to SS Beowulf one of Berserker Island's finest vessels!"

After half an hour passed, Dagur finished giving Hiccup a tour of the vessel, he raised the anchor and began sailing. The salty scent of ocean breeze filled his lungs as the afternoon sun bathed them with warmth. Though the morning was quite stressful, the day soothed his conscience.

"Ah! To be out exploring the seas on a ship again. Ever since I got Sleuther, there hasn't been much need to be on a boat. But there's just something about the gentle crashing of the waves and the rocking of the boat that you don't experience when riding your dragon, what do you think Hiccup?" He turned to the other man behind him whose expression was filled with dread.

"I think I need some shut eye. Just for a couple of hours at least…" Hiccup stated then headed to the stairs, "Wake me up when it's my turn to navigate-,"

"You're not going to eat?" Dagur interrupted then continued, "I brought us some fish that I think-,"

Hiccup answered dismissively, "No, I'm not hungry."

The Berserker brushed the coldness off then waved to the other man who was disappearing down the stairs, "Okay! Good night Hiccup."

Without hearing a reply, the door to the cabin underneath him slammed shut. Toothless and Dagur shared a look of worry but took it no further.

In the captain's quarters, Hiccup sighed deeply before heading toward his designated bed. His bed was cushioned and adorned with soft pillows unlike Dagur's which was a hammock tied to hooks on the wall. Dagur explained earlier that the quarter was designed for one person to sleep in since the vessel was made just for him.

Upon laying on his bed, Hiccup tried not to stir about his exchange with Dagur earlier and since they met up. He filled his thoughts with Astrid and the others back on Berk as he let sleep claim him.

In his dreams, Hiccup searched for memories of times when he didn't have a sinking feeling in his gut. Of times when his friends were smiling and laughing alongside him. He didn't even realize that he no longer had control of what he was dreaming anymore. Nobody ever did.

Hearing his friends' laughter and discuss amongst themselves reminded Hiccup of happier times. When the sounds grew inaudible, he tried his best to listen closely as if trying to increase the volume with his imagination. No matter how much he tried, it wouldn't work.

Now he was no longer smiling and laughing amongst the others, but it didn't seem to bother them. Not one single person wondered what was the matter with Hiccup. Even when Hiccup cried out, nobody heard him. When he tried to reach out to Astrid, she felt like thin air and vanished like it as well.

Suddenly darkness was all around Hiccup. He stood on something that he couldn't see then he looked up. Before him, Astrid and Stoick were side by side and faced him. Their expressions masked with disappointment before shaking their heads at Hiccup. When Hiccup tried to run after them, they simply melted into the darkness like a flower petal in a boiling cauldron.

"Gah!" Hiccup cried himself awake from his sleep. The room was dark except for the rays of blue white light from the moon outside. Panting to himself, Hiccup felt his skin and clothes damp with sweat like suffering from a fever.

"Bad dreams?" a voice asked which made Hiccup flinch and turn to its direction.

Stepping forward into the blue white light, Dagur's figure emerged with a steady stare at Hiccup.

"How long have I been out for?" Hiccup asked and felt his throat parched for water.

Dagur was silent for a moment before answering, "A few hours, well it's almost past midnight."

"Midnight? Wh-Why didn't you wake me up?" Hiccup raised an eyebrow as he wondered why the other man did nothing to illuminate the dark room.

"Well, judging from your mood earlier, I thought you needed more sleep." Dagur answered then added, "I guess I was wrong."

Hiccup threw the sheets off himself then headed to the door and bit out, "I thought I told you to wake me up when it's my turn to navigate!"

"I know but I-," Dagur tried to answer but Hiccup cut him off.

"But you wouldn't listen. You just have to do what you want to do and go off on your own." The one-legged chief pointed out with an accusatory finger. A pregnant pause filled the room before Dagur broke it with a question, "Is there a problem Hiccup?"

Hiccup sucked in a breath, almost answering the question before deciding not to, "Nothing…forget about it."

Before he could open the door, Dagur slammed it shut with a hand and darted the scrawny man a glare, "Really? Because it seems to me that something's definitely eating you up." The Berserker stated.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Hiccup turned to the door when Dagur crossed his arms and added, "Fine. Deny it. Be that way. I'm just trying to help."

"Help? Who says I need help?" The taller chief sneered at the redhead.

"You don't have to ask for me to know that you need it."

"And who are you to analyze what goes through my head?" Hiccup bitingly asked with a finger pointing at his temple and stepped closer to the other man.

"Nobody but your attitude's getting on my nerves." The Berserker answered with teeth gritted and rage boiling in his veins.

"Yeah well that's not that hard to do." Hiccup responded judgingly, his eyes moved up and down the Berserker which earned him a hard slap across the face.

His cheek burned and stung, but it gave him an idea.

"Typical. That's the Dagur I know." Hiccup turned the other cheek to Dagur, "Why not do it again? I bet you're itching to land a couple more blows."

Dagur raised his hand but stops himself upon realizing what the other man was trying to do. He placed his hand down which piqued the one-legged man's curiosity.

"Why'd you stop?"

"I-,"

"That's what you do Dagur. You hurt people when you're mad at them. You'd even do it if you weren't mad at them. So do it!" Hiccup demanded and Dagur noticed the other man's glassy eyes.

"I know what you're doing Hiccup…" The redhead replied instead.

"You do?" Hiccup asked as frustration surfaced on his face.

"You're trying to get me to hurt you." Dagur answered softly and placed a consoling hand on the other man's shoulder which was shrugged off immediately.

"What? You're crazy."

"Am I?" Dagur asked, "Ever since we started this mission, you've been troubled about something. You're even having nightmares about it!" The Berserker gestured his hands out to Hiccup.

"So, what if I am? What's it to you?" The Hooligan asked with another sneer.

"It means that I gotta know." Dagur spat out with a hand on his chest, "Look, when you told me that we were going to look for the Skrill, you told me that you were ready to make some sacrifices. Sacrifices which include your friends' trust for you."

"You said it yourself that you're prepared to disappoint the others to keep them safe from the dragon hunters but clearly you're not and you're taking it out on me!" Dagur pointed at Hiccup then at himself.

"If something's troubling you then it's my job to know what it is and help because if we're gonna go through this mission together, I expect you to work _with_ me, not _against_ me." Then Dagur grabbed Hiccup who tried to walk away.

The one-legged chief clenched his hands into fists as he tried to free himself from the Berserker. With little resistance left in him, Hiccup eventually conceded with sorrow masking his face.

"I'm sorry, Dagur…I'm sorry for all the things I did and said..." Tears began to fill Hiccup's eyes, "It's just, ever since I became the chief of Berk, I promised everyone that I wouldn't disappoint them, including my dad."

"I lied to them, and I just…I couldn't bring myself to forgive myself." Hiccup answered as he tried to wipe the tears off his face.

"They will forgive you Hiccup, just give them time." Dagur tried to capture the other man's gaze with his, "They understand why you did what you did, trust them."

"I don't have any right to talk about trust." The brunette shook his head then they were quiet.

Even though Dagur couldn't see the other man's face clearly, he could tell that Hiccup was trying his hardest to hold himself together. An obligation which he was all too familiar with.

"Take me for instance…" The Berserker muttered, "Out of everyone, I have no right to talk about trust. I have a history of hurting and trying to kill you and your friends. I've got disappointing others down pat."

"I don't deserve any of your forgiveness but in time, I decided to forgive myself and earn your trust." He added, a hand held to his chest.

"Besides, what you did was nothing compared to all the things I've done and yet here we are." Dagur pointed out then gently placed a hand on the other man's shoulder. "So, don't worry about earning forgiveness from others."

"In fact, look at it this way, a chief can make mistakes every now and then. After all, we're only human and they know that we're doing this for their best interest. When you return, they will still see you as their chief, their leader. They will even thank you for risking your life, traversing to new lands just to keep them safe from harm." Dagur added with a smile forming on his face, "That my brother, is a very noble deed and you shouldn't feel guilty about it."

"Thanks, Dagur…" Hiccup's mouth began to curve up to form a smile as well, "That makes a lot of sense." He continued.

"You're welcome." Dagur responded then placed his hands on his hips, "If you have any other things stirring in that funny head of yours then by all means, I'm here to listen and help as much as I can."

"Okay." Hiccup answered then looked at Dagur intently.

"What? Is there something on my face?" The Berserker inquired with a raised brow.

"No it's just…all the things you said to me, about being a chief and stuff, it's very thoughtful of you- and impressive." Hiccup thanked the darkness for hiding the blush quickly forming on his face, "I'm just really impressed!"

"Thank you." The redhead responded but the other man disagreed. "No, thank you…"

When a short moment of silence passed, a thought worked its way passed Hiccup's lips, "To tell you the truth, I'm actually jealous of you."

"What?" Dagur asked and baffled.

"Well, you seem to know more about being a chief than I do given that you've been doing it since we were teenagers." Hiccup explained, scratching the back of his head with slight embarrassment.

"But you remember that I spent most of it as a villain?" Dagur asked and the other man nodded.

"I know but you've changed! Look what you did for your tribe and where would the Berserkers be without you? Me on the other hand, I don't think I can ever live up to Stoick the Vast. No matter how hard I try. The ceremonial belt doesn't even fit me..." The brunette looked at himself with hands gestured to the sides.

"You're a great chief Hiccup, you don't need to fit a ceremonial belt to know that." Dagur firmly stated but Hiccup merely rolled his eyes and said, "Yeah right…"

"I'm serious."

The sound of the reply almost seemed like Dagur was insulted at Hiccup's words, "After everything you've done for the dragons and your tribe since we were teenagers, it's more than any chief has ever done in the Archipelago."

"Believe me when I say that you're one of a kind Hiccup. Berk and the dragons are very lucky to have you and Toothless as their leaders. Don't ever forget that." Dagur had always been perplexed when it came to respecting people's personal space, and now was no different as his face was inches from Hiccup's with a hand placed on Hiccup's shoulder and a finger pointing at Hiccup's face.

Hiccup nodded uncomfortably.

Sensing the brunette's discomfort, Dagur pulled away with an apology then both men composed themselves.

"Same with you Dagur, I bet Oswald the Agreeable would be proud of you." Hiccup shared in return.

With a scoff, Dagur responded, "I doubt that."

The Berserker turned away from Hiccup then walked toward the window to gaze upon night sky, "I've got plenty to do before I can live up to Oswald the Agreeable. I can't even live up to his name."

Hiccup remained silent but slowly crept closer to the Berserker intently.

"I mean, every time we meet there's always something we don't agree on. I put my father's name to shame if anything."

"I don't agree." Hiccup shook his head then the redhead turned to him.

"See what I mean?" Dagur asked and they were quiet again.

The brunette looked around for a moment, trying to search for words to comfort the other man, "For what it's worth Dagur, we've forgiven you for everything you've done. You've done more than enough to earn back our trust and even became our friend."

In the dark, Hiccup heard a sniffle come from the other man, so he asked, "What?"

Dagur wiped his nose then answered, "I've never heard you say you've forgiven me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, really." Dagur nodded reassuringly. "I may have felt it for a while now but it's nice hearing it said out loud."

"Well I figured you deserve to hear it, don't you agree?" With that, a wide knowing grin appeared on Hiccup's face.

A grin also began to appear on Dagur's face before Dagur replied, "I do. Thanks Hiccup."

 **End of Chapter 5.**


	6. In The Heart Of The Storm

**Chapter 6: In The Heart Of The Storm**

There were a few things that Dagur the Deranged was sure of, like the measure of his strength…

"Hiya!" Dagur grunted out just as he completed his set of pushups on the deck. The last splashes of purple disappeared into the horizon and the heavens were washed with the calmest blue, perfect after his morning workout. Topless, sweat glistened on the redhead's bulging muscles and his freckled skin had warm redness.

In the corner of his eye, Hiccup emerged from the cabin, groggy and half-asleep. The hooligan's eyes sprang wide open as he gazed upon the Berserker's heavily sculpted frame. Dagur had to hold himself from chuckling at the other man's gob smacked expression.

"Morning Hiccup!" Dagur greeted. He couldn't bring himself to hide his smug smirk at the other man's clear discomfort.

"Good morning! I uhh- I didn't…" Hiccup stammered, adding only to Dagur's amusement.

"Hope you slept well. Was my bed comfortable?" Dagur asked and wriggled his eyebrows.

The brunet rolled his eyes at the obvious flirtation then went back inside. Since SS Beowulf was a small ship designed for Dagur's personal use, it only had one sleeping cabin while the other rooms were designed for storage. The large bed that Hiccup slept on was Dagur's while the other chief slept in a hammock, which was temporarily installed for the duration of the trip. Dagur was sure that Hiccup slept comfortably since he expected nothing less from his own bed chamber.

Dagur and his people built the vessel for his own personal use. It was large enough to fit a small party, of which he had previously held several for that matter. Traditionally, Berserkers had held victory parties however since the new Berserker tribe no longer waged war against other tribes, aside from the dragon hunters, parties were held whenever Dagur felt like it. Or at least when Heather allowed it. The Berserker wanted to be known as the most lavish chief in the archipelago.

It was a stark contrast with the Berkian chief. Dagur knew he had plenty of differences with Hiccup, such as his overwhelming confidence…

In preparation for breakfast, Hiccup was unable to find something in the makeshift kitchen which led him to look for Dagur of whom he last saw entering their bed chamber.

"Dagur, do you know where the- oh gods!" Hiccup cried out as he had walked in on Dagur who had his back toward him but stark naked.

"What is it Hiccup?" Dagur casually asked then Hiccup turned the other way.

"Can you uhh put something on?" Hiccup pointed but kept his gaze opposite to Dagur's direction.

"But why? I'm trying to cool off after my workout." Dagur asked with indignant curiosity in his tone.

"Because you're naked." Hiccup stated and slightly shaking his head in disbelief. In the corner of his eye, the Hooligan noticed that Dagur took a sheet from a nearby hook then approached him.

"Would you relax?" Still looking away, Hiccup discerned the redhead shuffling to wrap the sheet around himself. "We're the only ones in the ship and we're both men." The redheaded chief wiggled his genitals at the other chief. Noticing the wanton gesture in the corner of his eye, Hiccup's eyes rolled once again.

After Dagur got dressed, he joined Hiccup in his makeshift kitchen which was originally where he concocted alcoholic drinks for his parties. With careful cooperation, both chiefs made their breakfasts and ate upstairs. Their dragons joined them and were fed some fish.

Amidst the tranquility, at least Dagur thought it was, the Berserker watched the other man affectionately interact with his dragon. It wasn't an unusual sight however it roused Dagur's reflectiveness on how he interacted with Sleuther. Though they were both dragon riders and chiefs, Dagur wasn't as affectionate or loving to his dragon as Hiccup. When he was a villain, he always felt bitter about the other dragon rider's bond with the Night Fury until the sensation was replaced by admiration.

"BURP!" Dagur loudly belched after finishing his meal with Hiccup. The brunet merely grimaced in disgust at the other man's table manners.

"What?" Dagur asked which only made the other man's eyes roll.

"Better out than in like my father always said." Dagur added with a small chuckle.

"Heh, so did mine…" Hiccup muttered to himself irritatingly then continued feeding Toothless.

A moment passed of Dagur somberly gazing at Hiccup before asking, "Do you miss him?" And the other man paused while feeding his dragon.

Hiccup glanced at Dagur for a moment before answering, "Yeah, I do."

"I know the feeling." The Berserker added then they were both silent for a few seconds. "Do you believe in Valhalla?" Dagur asked and the other man nodded.

"I guess, why do you ask?" Hiccup questioned with a quizzical brow.

"Well it's because I think it's comforting to believe that there's something after this life…after we die." Dagur looked up then threw his hands behind his head and rested his back on the hard wood. "Sometimes, I look up to the sky and wonder if dad's up there watching over me. I bet your dad's up there too."

"Yeah." Hiccup chuckled to himself, "he's probably mad at me for leaving Berk."

"I'm sure he'll forgive you. Me on the other hand…" Dagur paused for a moment before continuing, "I doubt my dad's ever gonna forgive me for the things I did. You know, stuff like not looking for him."

"Dagur…"

"I know what you're going to say, I was a kid, a bad one at that but like I said before we'll never know eh?" Dagur left one last piteous smile before looking down on the floor. A wave of silence swept through the two chiefs before Hiccup broke it off, "You know, I think there is a Valhalla waiting for us when we die."

Dagur turned to the other man with a raised brow.

"And I'm sure that our fathers will be there to greet us. Then you'll get your answer." Hiccup stated with a wide a smile then added, "But don't go there just yet. You've got a whole life ahead of you. I'm sure Oswald would've said the same."

Relief swelled in Dagur which made him smile as widely as the other chief. Somehow, Hiccup just knew the right things to say to him. No matter how crest fallen Dagur was, Hiccup always managed to make him smile.

Dagur thought that despite their differences, he and Hiccup knew what it was like to lose their fathers and lead their people. It was comforting to know that he was not alone. Which was why Dagur spent the rest of the day trying to impress Hiccup.

He never used to do it before, especially not to his father, but Dagur sought for Hiccup's approval more than he had ever done to anybody. To Dagur, Hiccup was a great example of what a good friend should be. Though Dagur hated to admit it, good company was absent in his past. The Berserker chief took power and loyalty by force. He never truly earned anyone's respect unlike Hiccup.

Every bit of respect he could get from the Berkian felt like it was worth more than anything he ever had back then.

When they released the sails, Dagur lend Hiccup his strength since the brunet clearly struggled. Even Toothless helped, though Hiccup seemed to be more comfortable accepting Toothless' help than Dagur's. A part of Dagur envied the dragon as he knew deep down, he was nothing compared to it. In the list of Hiccup's priorities, he knew he was all the way at the bottom while everyone else was at the top. Still, Dagur would never outright say that Hiccup was right up there with Heather when it came to his priorities, except for the times when he called the other man his 'brother'.

However, Dagur would be lying if he didn't think that spending time with Hiccup, especially when they worked together like rescuing Sleuther and stopping Johann, ignited fiery excitement in his veins.

To pass the time, Dagur and Hiccup decided to do some target practice. Dagur brought out several target dummies from one of the ship's storerooms. Most of the target dummies were made of wood, fabric and hay, and had facial expressions for authenticity. When Hiccup went to the storage room to grab the last one, it had a golden wig and ragged with blue and silver fabric. There was no mistaking it, the dummy closely resembled Astrid.

"What on Thor?" He asked then Dagur appeared from the corridor. As soon as the Berserker laid his eyes on the speculative dummy, panic surged in his chest.

"Oops! I forgot that was there…" Dagur scratched the back of his head and grinned sheepishly, hoping to avert angering the other man.

"What the hell is this?" Hiccup glared at the man intensely, turns out Dagur was too late.

"I can explain!" The Berserker exclaimed, "We had a party and stuff happened-,"

Hiccup's eyes blew wide open immediately then glanced at both Dagur and the dummy with disgust.

"It's not what you think!" Dagur cried out while shaking his hands frantically, "As I said to you before, I used this vessel to hold private parties every now and then."

"And?" Angered, Hiccup crossed his arms then tapped his right foot.

"During the party, things got a little out of hand and some of the guests dressed up the dummy to look like Astrid."

"Why?" Hiccup hissed.

"Because some of my men wanted to make fun of her!" Dagur cried out while cowering behind his forearms.

"Make fun of her?" Hiccup retracted slightly to wonder. "Why would they do that?"

Dagur grew quiet for a moment as he carefully thought of the words to reply. Guilt began to bubble in his stomach when he decided to admit, "Because of me."

Hiccup raised a brow, "What?"

A deep frown formed on Dagur's face before he continued, "Remember when we had a feast in my island a couple of weeks ago?"

Hiccup recollected for a moment then his expression subsided when the memories flooded back. He remembered drinking and Dagur making fun of both him and Astrid. It wasn't one of his fondest memories.

"A few of my men thought it would be funny to cheer me up by dressing one our target dummies as Astrid and make fun of her. I can't say that I didn't stop them, if I can remember I think I was the one who started the idea…" Dagur somberly answered which made Hiccup cast him a look of disappointment, "We were drunk! It was only for one night and besides, they were going to do one that looked like you, but I told them to stop-,"

"And how's that any better?" Hiccup snapped out then pushed passed the other man to leave the room, stomping as he went.

"Hiccup!" Dagur called out from behind but the Hooligan was already up on the deck. As soon as Dagur made it outside, Hiccup and Toothless launched to the air and into the clouds.

So much for getting Hiccup's approval.

It was early in the afternoon when Hiccup descended from the steadily graying clouds and landed back on deck. Dagur immediately called after the other man to frantically apologize for everything. After all, Hiccup didn't need to come with Dagur for this mission. The Berserker was ready to go solo since he thought that the Skrill mattered more to him than to the other chief.

"Hiccup, I'm so sorry-" Hiccup gestured his hands up to stop the other man from speaking. Dagur swallowed indignantly and fought the guilt curdling in his gut.

"I understand." Hiccup consoled but the Berserker felt unconvinced.

"I destroyed it! I mean the dummy...It was stupid, and I shouldn't have done it. I promise to never do it ever again."

Hiccup's brows furrowed at the sight of the other man. He'd seen Dagur like this several times before, since he changed, and it still made his insides twist with regret.

"Look Dagur, I understand that you don't agree with some of the changes that has happened with me. Ever since I became a chief, it's getting harder and harder to recognize the type of person I was before my dad passed away." Hiccup paused then bit his lower lip. "And when we get back to Berk, I'll most likely marry Astrid, if she'll still have me back that is." A smile formed on Hiccup's face and Dagur nodded along with contrite. "My point is, with all these changes happening, I don't want to lose your respect-"

"And you're not gonna! Hiccup, you're completely right and I was so wrong. I shouldn't have made fun of you and Astrid. I can understand if you wish to leave and turn back around-,"

Hiccup gestured his hands up again to halt the other man.

"What's done is done. You've already apologized for what happened and I forgive you. My mind's made up. I made a decision to travel with you to Avatross and that's what I'm going to do. We're gonna go find or not find that legendary Skrill and save our own. It is our duty as chiefs." Hiccup stated then held a hand out for Dagur to shake.

The Berserker glanced at the open hand for a moment before taking it. With a firm handshake, both chiefs gazed at each other with a newfound respect.

Their moment was short-lived by the rumbling sounds of the sky. Heavy dark clouds loomed across to the horizon as far as their eyes could see. There were several islands nearby as the water started to reflect the darkness above. In a matter of minutes, the wind picked up, furiously dragging the sails along with it. Both chiefs were all too familiar with the howling of the winds and thus they beckoned their dragons to assist them.

The riders tied ropes to what needed to be tied to the vessel; their dragons and themselves. At the first cracks of lightning, the rain began, carried by forceful gusts which swept over the boat and the sea.

"It's too risky to stay out here during the storm-," The Berserker cried out before getting interrupted by the ship being knocked by a giant wave. "We need to head to that island and stay until the storm passes." Dagur pointed at the dark green island with trees that swayed with the strength of the gale.

Hiccup nodded and from the corner of his eye, he saw his Night Fury agree. Sailing to the island was rocky to say the least; the wind made its mission to drag SS Beowulf further out to the sea. The hostile sky and ocean could only knock the chiefs and the dragons for so long. Victorious, Dagur smiled widely at almost reaching the shores when the snapping sound of wood caught his and everyone else's attention.

When Dagur looked down, he saw one of the decorative shields on the side of his ship snap out and fly straight toward the other chief. "Hiccup!" Dagur cried out but was too late as the wooden shield knocked the other chief straight into the water. Toothless cried out then ran to the side of the ship before diving into the water to rescue its rider.

"Sleuther hold this!" Dagur commanded at the dragon beside him to steady the steering wheel before running down the deck and started pulling Hiccup's rope. With a few strong flaps of its wings, Toothless managed to launch himself and Hiccup out of the water then to the deck. Immediately, Dagur started resuscitating the unconscious chief, pushing Hiccup's chest then puffing air into his mouth. Toothless moaned with worry but was then relieved by its rider's coughing and grogginess.

"You'll live." Dagur patted the other man on the back and with one look, entrusted the Night Fury to watch over its rider as he went ahead with docking the vessel near the shore. As soon as they were close enough, Dagur released the anchor. His Triple Stryke dragon helped him raise the sails before he hopped on Toothless with Hiccup, who was still groggy and slurring, strapped on top of the Night Fury then commanding both dragons to fly them to the shore.

For a short moment, Dagur felt privileged that Toothless allowed him to fly them both, it reminded him of the time when he rode the Night Fury for the first time to save Hiccup from the hunters. The second time he fondly remembered was around the first time he was learning how to fly a dragon, Hiccup had gone back to edge when he and Toothless shared a few moments in the sky, before the dragon threw him off due to misplacing his hand.

Amidst the pelting rain and flashes of lightning, Dagur managed to find a cave not far from the shore. With every beat of the Night Fury's wings, Dagur's worry grew as Hiccup could barely stay conscious. Upon reaching the cave, he placed Hiccup beside the Night Fury. In the distance, Dagur saw his ship despite the torrential rain. It was rocked from side to side violently by the wind and sea.

Dagur tried to bury his worries and hoped their vessel and provisions would survive the storm. For now, he felt chills from being drenched to the bone. He even had to remove his cape which clung onto his clothes and skin, before he squeezed the water out. He searched the cave for some dry roots and plants to start a fire. When he had found enough, he used Sleuther's dragon breath to start it.

Near him, Toothless cooed at its rider who shivered in the cold. Dagur shared a look of worry with the Night Fury but decided to console the dragon, "He'll be fine Toothless. We'll take care of him. This guy's too stubborn to die."

Within an hour or two, the storm eventually subsided and Dagur could once again see rays of sunlight piercing through the heavy clouds. Slowly, Hiccup regained consciousness, much to his dragon and the Berserker's relief.

"Hey Hiccup." Dagur greeted, glancing to the side.

"Dagur?" Hiccup blinked a few times before noticing his Night Fury beside him. Toothless cooed and nuzzled its face to the rider's. "Hey bud, good to see you."

"How are you feeling?" Dagur asked the sleepy Hooligan.

"I'm okay…" Hiccup tried getting up when an unexpected pang of ache penetrated his head.

"Whoa easy now." The Berserker consoled, and the Night Fury warbled to agree. "You took a hit from one of my ship's shields. Must've hit you in the head pretty badly since you can barely stay awake." Dagur pointed out and Hiccup nodded along.

"Rest up for now while I go set up camp here until you're better." Dagur noted then turned to his dragon, "Sleuther with me."

The Berserker bid the Night Fury to watch over its rider even though he didn't need to. Toothless and Hiccup protected each other without needing to be told. When one was vulnerable, the other came to their aid. It is how things are between those two and to think Dagur was angry at such a bond all those years ago.

When Dagur returned, he changed into dry clothes. He had come back with some provisions from the ship which were safe from the storm. He brought out some dry clothes, water, fish, wheat and mead (for himself), as well as several blankets and sheets for the night.

At the mouth of the cave, Hiccup was relatively awake. The Berkian chief breathed heavily and his skin looked slightly pale. It wasn't difficult to notice that the other man was clearly coming down with something.

Dagur knelt beside the other man and placed a hand on his forehead. The burning sensation felt like touching a cauldron in a hearth. Toothless warbled concerningly and nuzzled at its rider's forehead.

"Oh no…" Dagur said in a whisper as again, panic began to surge in his chest. "Hiccup, you're burning up!" he exclaimed and felt the damp clothes on the other man.

"We should get you out of these wet clothes straight away!" Dagur began stripping the other man's garments except for Hiccup's undergarments. The Berserker quickly wrapped the other man with a blanket. Dagur knew that putting dry clothes on Hiccup would not help when the fever starts making the other man sweat. He again laid the sickly man on Toothless' side.

To his side, he noticed that their fire was out. "We need some medicinal herbs and start a fire again." Dagur told himself before taking Sleuther with him to the ship and grab what he needed.

It was quite late in the afternoon when Dagur returned with the things that he needed. He returned to the ship to gather some rope to collect firewood with then brought out some medicinal herbs stored in several jars.

While searching for firewood in the jungle, Dagur came across several wild Gronckles drinking in the nearby stream. The pack of Gronckles frolicked and consumed sedimentary rocks which reminded Dagur of his first dragon, Shattermaster. A deep sense of longing and sadness welled up in his chest at the memory of losing his first dragon. The feeling was soon dampened by Sleuther growling affectionately at his side. In return, Dagur petted his dragon and gave a fond smile.

Upon gathering as much dry wood as he could, he tied them with a rope and flew back to the cave where Toothless waited. Toothless' rider did not look any better, in fact, Hiccup began to convulse in his sleep. Dagur placed a hand on the surface of Hiccup's blanket as his brows furrowed with worry.

"Hang in there, Hiccup. I'll get you warmed up soon." Dagur turned to Toothless then asked, "Toothless, can you give us some weak flame for now while I get the fire started?"

The dragon nodded then opened its mouth to usher a light purple flame to warm its rider. The Berserker proceeded to untie the wood and gather them to the closest dry surface next to Hiccup. He then gathered some rocks around the area to surround the pile of wood before asking Sleuther to set it ablaze. Once lit, the fire was bright enough to illuminate the cave and warm their bodies. Dagur set up the remaining blankets and sheets for a makeshift bed, more than big enough to accommodate Hiccup. He walked over to the other chief and carried him to the bed and placed a hand on Hiccup's slightly damp hair.

"You just stay warm for now Hiccup. I'm gonna go and make you some medicine."

The jars that Dagur gathered were from the storage unit in his island. Ever since he became chief, he made it his priority to be able to not only administer the roles at his disposal but also practice them himself. From masonry to medicinal, Dagur trained at these skills during these past few years. Using a small cauldron and water, Dagur began concocting Hiccup's herbal medicine.

An hour passed and Dagur finished the medicine and took a sip from a spoon to taste it. Since it tasted right, Dagur took a spoonful and blew to cool it down for Hiccup. Behind him, Hiccup panted through his mouth and stirred slightly. The Berserker knelt beside the Night Fury and its rider before lifting the other chief's head with one hand and placing the spoon to Hiccup's mouth.

"Hiccup, I need you to drink this for me. It's to help you get better." Dagur muttered at the other man who stirred. Half-awake, Hiccup felt the spoon pressed against his lips and barely conscious, began to drink the medicine. The Hooligan coughed a little then irked at the flavor.

"Sorry brother but medicine's not supposed to taste good." Dagur couldn't help the snicker that escaped him. He glanced at Toothless who tilted its head in curiosity at the spoon in his grasp. The dragon gawked then started sniffing as soon as Dagur moved the spoon closer to its snout. Once it sniffed, the dragon's expression scrunched in disgust.

"I know it's gross but trust me, it'll help Hiccup get better." Dagur explained then Toothless nuzzled at its rider whose breathing began to even out. Though it was too soon to tell, the redhead placed a hand on Hiccup's forehead to check the other man's temperature. Based on his experience, Dagur knew that the medicine would start effect the more Hiccup took it. For now, he was going to set up camp for the night, feed themselves and get some rest.

The evening arrived and soft spots of pink and orange danced in a large dark purple canvas in the sky. The Berserker had been busy building a more sheltered camp for Hiccup with the help of their dragons. Just like in Berserker Island, Dagur was greatly impressed of how much work he could complete with the help of dragons. Their innate strength of ten or more men were helpful in building walls made of a lattice of branches and large leaves, tied together by vines found around the area. The enclosure certainly helped insulate the heat from the fire which gradually reduced Hiccup's temperature.

All this work caused Dagur to forget to eat earlier. His stomach grumbled so loudly that it startled both dragons. "I guess that means it's time to eat." Dagur snickered to himself and slightly embarrassed at the knowing look that Toothless gave him.

By the fire, Dagur set up cooking utensils he gathered from the boat and began grilling some fish over the flames. The smell was scrumptious and had both he and their dragons salivating. Sensing their dragons' hunger, Dagur fetched the basket containing the remaining fish then headed to the winged beasts.

"Here you go." The Berserker laid some fish in front of Toothless and Sleuther, and without a moment later the dragons started eating relentlessly.

When the fishes over the fire were ready, the Berserker started his meal and sat next to the sleeping Hooligan.

"Shame you're sick Hiccup, you could've had a taste of my grilled fish. Even Heather says she can't get enough of it." Dagur nudged the other man who looked like a sleeping angel. A fond smile appeared on Dagur's face before a sigh escaped him. "Not even close to our destination and we're already one man down."

Unbeknownst to him the scent of his fish caught the attention of a shadowy figure with piercing yellow eyes lurking in the darkness. The bushes stirred and the first to notice this were the dragons. Toothless and Sleuther perked up and turned to the sound in the bushes before growling at it.

Seeing the dragons agitated, Dagur furrowed his brow and asked, "What is it guys?"

The bush rustled and this time the Berserker heard it. He turned to the direction of the sound and movement before bracing himself. Suddenly, spikes flew out of the bush which both Dagur and Toothless quickly dodged. Sleuther on the other hand, repelled the spikes with its tail before Toothless roared at the creature to reveal itself. A Deadly Nadder leaped out of the darkness and hissed at them. The feral dragon whipped its tail again, sending spikes toward their direction, with several headed toward Hiccup.

In a blink of an eye, Dagur leaped in the air to block the spikes and one stabbed his left shoulder while another grazed his forearm and leg in the process. With a coordinated plasma blast and dragon breath shot from their dragons, the Nadder fled the area in fear and retreated into the darkness of the jungle.

"Woohoo! Good job gang." Dagur congratulated the dragons before hissing at the sensation felt from his wounds. Blood trickled from his open cuts, all the way down to the ground which agitated Sleuther. The Triple Stryke quickly hopped over to its rider who was brought to his knees in pain.

"I'll be fine." Dagur grunted out, "This is nothing, I've had worse."

Despite his reassurance, the dragons gathered to his side to help him back into the cave.

Using several herbs that he already had, Dagur concocted a dressing for his wounds. The sting of the treatment was quite unbearable to say the least; however, he ignored it as it was almost time for Hiccup to take his medicine again. He trudged toward the jar containing Hiccup's medicine. His left hand stirred and shook erratically at his attempts to pour some medicine in the spoon. More medicine went to the ground than in the spoon.

"Dammit." Dagur cursed frustratingly at the waste. He glanced over to Hiccup who started panting heavily again and Dagur frowned at his own injuries. The dragons gazed at him with worry and groaned softly. He could tell they knew he was struggling and were keen to help. To reassure them, Dagur smiled softly and staggered toward Hiccup with jar held in his right hand. He knelt beside the sickly man and winced in pain. Sleuther came up beside him to help, then he thanked the dragon before glancing down at the Hooligan's slightly parted lips.

"I can't afford to waste this, nor can I make another one at this state." Dagur stated moving his gaze to the jar in his grasp, then carefully shuffling closer to Hiccup, "I'm just gonna have to improvise."

Placing the mouth of the jar to his lips then filling his mouth with the herbal remedy, Dagur placed the jar on the ground before lifting Hiccup's head up then leaning down to press his lips on the other chief's. He pushed the fluid into Hiccup's mouth until his was empty. Dagur kept their lips together until Hiccup swallowed the medicine before opening his eyes and noticing the Hooligan's eyelids open slightly. Verdant green eyes stared at Dagur's before closing and sending the Hooligan back to the land of dreams.

Dagur pulled away quickly as he could feel his heart racing and his eyes blowing wide open. He could even feel the thumping of his heart in his ears, his breathing hitched. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up as an electrifying sensation ran through his body. He looked up to the dragons gathered around them with expressions filled with as much confusion as he had.

Then, he glanced back down on the other man's face and felt his heart stop for a moment at the sudden realization of what he had just done-

-Or what it _meant_.

 **End of Chapter 6.**


	7. Paved With Good Intentions

**Chapter 7: The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions**

 _"Dagur…"_

Blinding darkness like a smoke which could not be lifted no matter how hard the wind blew, hid the source of the voice in the distance. Dagur felt himself instinctively lean closer, hoping to hear the voice again.

 _"Dagur."_ The Berserker chief blinked and when he opened his eyes, before him was Oswald the Agreeable, former chief of the Berserker tribe, his late father.

 _"Father?"_ Dagur asked in a mutter as Oswald looked at his direction. They were on a cliff edge overlooking the sea, somewhere quite familiar. Perhaps they were on Berserker Island.

 _"Father?"_ The Berserker called out again as he could not see his father's face due to the brightness of the day, completely opposite to how it was just a moment ago.

When the light got too bright, he covered his eyes with his arm and closed them. Opening them, he saw a blur of a small figure running right through him and toward Oswald. It was a child, a little boy who had red hair and a maniacal laugh.

 _"There you are!"_ Oswald exclaimed with a chuckle but Dagur still couldn't see his Father's face due to the bright light before him. Just before the light overwhelmed his vision further, he saw two smiling faces, one of his father carrying a child in his arms which he distinctly remembered as a distant memory.

Next, Dagur found himself watching the island of Berk in the distance from the side of the ship. He remembered jumping up and down with his hands clasped tightly on the wooden surface. Though Dagur couldn't see himself doing what he did, he could remember the feeling. He also remembered his father approaching and standing next to him shortly after.

 _"Daddy daddy! Am I gonna finally meet the chief of Berk's son?"_ Dagur asked though he didn't think his lips moved. Everything he heard and felt seemed to interact with everything around him.

 _"Yes Dagur, now be nice to him. He's a special little boy."_ Oswald bid but when Dagur tried to look at his father, again, a blinding light blurred his father's face.

 _"Not as special as me!"_ Dagur exclaimed and the last few moments he remembered was his father patting his back and the sound of his booming laughter.

In the blink of an eye, Dagur found himself standing next to his father and Stoick the Vast. He remembered getting a pat on the shoulder and asked to go play with the chief's son, Hiccup. Now Hiccup was just as Dagur remembered him. The scrawny little man hid behind his father's back and was almost invisible due to Stoick's size. However, Dagur noticed him. He always did.

There was just something about the small brunet boy that drew Dagur like a moth to a bushfire. At first glance, not much could be said about the tiny boy nor would he be distinguished as the chief's son. However, Dagur knew something in him felt the need to be around the other boy. After all, Hiccup was quite like his daddy in that their gazes had some gentleness in them.

 _"Come play with me!"_ Dagur ordered then grabbed Hiccup's wrist, it was so fragile and thin in his grasp before he dragged the other boy outside to play.

He remembered how hard Hiccup cried and how scared the Hooligan boy was of him. He also remembered the scrawny boy trying to pull away from his firm grip only to fall over from when Dagur let go and began crying some more. He remembered laughter from a dark-haired boy who Dagur remembered calling Snothat or Snot-something-or-rather. He remembered scaring two identical looking blond children who were making Hiccup dizzy. Hiccup cried some more because he everything upset him and it angered Dagur. The Berserker child didn't like seeing Hiccup cry, not back then at least.

Tried as he might, Dagur couldn't get Hiccup to stop crying so he decided to give up and let the other boy cry. Daddy was furious when he found Hiccup sobbing next to Dagur. The scrawny brunet immediately ran to his father's arms, leaving Dagur to be scolded by Daddy for not being nice enough to him.

However, Dagur tried to be nice, he tried so hard in his own way, but Hiccup wouldn't even tell their parents otherwise. He just cried in Stoick's arms and made Dagur feel like he was the worst person in the world. So Dagur hoped that next time he visited, Hiccup wouldn't be such a crybaby and make him feel bad inside.

The next time he saw Hiccup, the scrawny boy avoided him and seemed to get along with a fat blond boy with chubby cheeks. It angered Dagur so much that he had to punish the blond boy for taking Hiccup's attention away from him by locking up the fat boy in a cage for a few days. He didn't care that for the duration of his visit, his father, Stoick and Hiccup looked for the blond boy. Dagur didn't even get a chance to show Hiccup his knife throwing skills. And he'd been practicing so hard on the chickens back on Berserker Island and on Heather's ornate shield. Sometimes, he missed his targets but that's because the chickens ran so fast or Heather wouldn't keep still.

It seemed that he would have to show Hiccup next time.

Memories of Dagur's childhood passed by like a blur of boredom as the Berserkers lived in peace for most of his life. The most exciting times were when his father had business with Berk. However, Dagur had realized that he couldn't be anything else to Hiccup but scary. No matter what Dagur did with Hiccup, it always led to disaster, like the time he finally showed Hiccup his knife throwing skills. The Hooligan kept running at the direction of his targets when he specifically said to keep still. Or when he tried to teach the scrawny boy how to swim.

In every occasion, Hiccup was either left pale with fear or gasping for dear life. If only Hiccup wasn't so weak, fragile and scared of him, Dagur could show him that he had more than enough strength for the two of them.

Still, Dagur never missed a trip to the other tribe despite the begrudging feeling steadily growing in his chest. Talks of power and glory were whispers that he heard from people who did not agree with his father's leadership. This eventually festered a bitterness and distaste from anything that is gentle and weak, something that was diluting both his father's image and Hiccup's. It didn't happen all at once and it certainly took its time to manifest, however it was an idea that remained and corroded inside Dagur, like a chained dog that gnawed on a dry bone.

Round and round went Dagur's memories of everything after the day his father disappeared. His maniacal laugh steadily grew louder and louder until it was almost unbearable to hear.

"MuwahahaHAHAHAHA!"

Dagur had to tightly shut his eyes and cover his ears as the world around him spun uncontrollably.

Then everything stopped.

When he opened his eyes, Dagur found himself back in the cover of darkness. The ground he stepped on was unrecognizable nor was anything else around him. The shadows coiled and seethed like smoke until a faint light appeared before him.

 _"Dagur."_

He heard the light call out with a voice which seemed familiar. The faint light eventually formed into a shape of a person who stood before him.

 _"Dagur."_ The redhead leaned closer to find the misty light to be the shape of his father.

 _"Leave it alone Dagur."_ The image of his father commanded. The imitation had a very bright face again and it caused Dagur to squint just to see the shape.

 _"Sign the treaty Dagur. Leave the chicken alone Dagur."_ The figure commanded again but only this time, it wasn't his father's voice that he heard.

 _"Put down that axe Dagur!"_ It was his own.

Dagur felt something hard and wooden in his grasp. When he looked down, he saw an axe in his grip with the sharp steel seeped with blood. The sight startled the Berserker into dropping the item but instead of landing on the ground, it simply dissolved into nothing.

 _"Leave…"_

Dagur looked up as he heard the glowing figure before him speak again.

 _"Leave…"_

The faint light reshaped itself into a new form. A form that distinctively resembled a thin male with a stump as a leg. The figure manifested into Hiccup and the resemblance was uncanny.

 _"Hiccup?"_ Dagur asked then the Hiccup look-alike spoke again.

 _"Leave me…"_ Hiccup repeated but the last word was too soft for Dagur to decipher.

 _"What did you say?"_ Dagur asked and took a step forward.

Suddenly, the faint light flashed in red and the Hiccup figure cried out, _"LEAVE ME ALONE!"_

"Gasp!" Suddenly Dagur gasped himself awake. He panted then moved his gaze across his surroundings. Though the cave was dark, the light from the moon illuminated their dragons' silhouettes as well as Hiccup's who slept soundly beside him and slightly stirred. It must have been hours since he fell asleep right after he gave Hiccup his medicine.

A low groan was heard from his side and he noticed Sleuther and Toothless gazing at him, he could see worry fill their bright colored eyes even in the darkness. The fire beside them had long since extinguished but Dagur had no intention of reigniting it. Sleuther crept beside him then nuzzled his snout at its rider then Dagur petted its head in return.

"I'm okay. It's just a nightmare. Just a…" Dagur muttered softly then paused to turn to his side to gaze upon the sleeping man then continued, "a nightmare…"

Out of the darkness, flashes of his dream appeared which made him wince, shut his eyes tightly and shake his head. He searched the ground next to him to find the jar of medicine and the bottle of mead he brought from the ship earlier. Whenever he had such nightmares, he found solace in the taste of mead passing through his lips and the exuberant sensation it brought when he'd drank too many. Following several large gulps, Dagur let himself sink back on Toothless' back, and made sure to be careful with his wounds. The dragon remained in its place right above Hiccup's head since Dagur fell asleep. Sleuther on the other hand laid near the mouth of the cave vigilant in case of any dragon attacks. The winged beasts simply sat there and watched him.

They seem to like to watch.

With the buzz settling in his mind, the Berserker sat back on Toothless' hind legs and watched the empty black space. Every now and then, when he didn't have it in check, his guilt manifested and yearned. There were nights when some of his men and even Heather would barge into his room after hearing him thrash in his sleep. His men said Dagur never used to have the nightmares, only when he returned from his retreat of solitude did they start.

Crazy dreams he liked to call them to pacify Heather and his men's worried expressions. However deep down, he knew there was no escaping the past that bounded him like iron chains seared into his skin, irremovable. Sometimes, those iron chains of guilt felt cold like ice, much like the sensation he felt at that moment when he turned to Hiccup's sleeping form.

Earlier in the night, when Dagur gave Hiccup medicine using his mouth, an electrifying sensation tickled his body then followed by a heavy feeling in his core. He had not felt this electrifying feeling in a very long time, or if he did, he often buried it deep in his mind or passed it off.

They often occurred whenever he was with or thought of Hiccup. At times, he wondered if it was simply the villainous side of him which he never truly discarded despite years of meditation and self-discovery.

How could it not?

His dreams were memories after all, memories that resounded his crimes against Hiccup and the others. Despite being forgiven by Hiccup out loud recently, Dagur still could not bring himself to forgive his own crimes, let alone forget them. After what he did last night and pressing his lips against Hiccup's, Dagur began to realize why the nightmare occurred.

With drink in hand, he gulped once more and leaned his head back to rest on the Night Fury, thinking about the times when all he could ever think about was Hiccup. Some people had said it before but only recently did Dagur admit to himself that he was truly and utterly fascinated by the other man, obsessed rather. After all, Dagur could not bring himself to deny that ever since his heart changed for the better, the one person's opinion he sought after the most was Hiccup's.

The very thought of Hiccup finding out how Dagur nursed him back to health convinced the Berserker that it would probably derail the harmony they'd established. And Hiccup probably already knew since he opened his eyes while Dagur's lips were pressed against his.

So Dagur continued drinking until not a single drop of mead was left and hoped that its intoxicating properties could kill the vicious anxieties that seethed in his mind until sleep took him once more.

Morning came and Dagur found himself slightly hungover, head throbbing and the small empty jar of mead rolled to his side. He looked outside and saw the day so bright that it illuminated the insides of the cave. The creaking sounds of the jungle commenced without the slightest care about the cave's inhabitants.

His wounds had also healed slightly, judging from how he could move his arm and shoulder without shaking frantically. However, he was still not in the best state to be moving around, especially since all he wanted to do was curl up into a ball and sleep some more.

However, he remembered Hiccup. The brunet chief laid next to the Berserker panting. When Dagur placed a hand on Hiccup's forehead again, it was still quite hot but not as much as yesterday.

"Man, I've never seen you get like this before." Dagur said to the panting man then turned to the Night Fury, "Has he been getting much rest lately?"

The Night Fury shook its head then groaned with worry before nuzzling its snout on Hiccup's hair. Dagur pulled his hand away with brows furrowed.

"Trust you to push yourself too hard. You're just too stubborn to listen to your own body." The Berserker said to Hiccup then shook his head while a small chuckle escaped him. He reached for the medicinal jar next to him then gripped firmly.

Taking the mouth of the medicine jar to his lips, he sucked in the medicinal fluid and held it before placing the bottle on the ground beside him as he did last night. He leaned down and used his right hand to lift Hiccup's head up before placing his lips against the other man's. The soft lips were slightly dry, but the medicine should help hydrate them. Once he pushed all the fluid into Hiccup's mouth, Dagur pulled back slightly and moved his eyes over the sleeping man's face.

In his mind, Dagur tried to convince himself that he was solely doing this for Hiccup's own good and nothing more. Absolutely nothing else. Yet the warm funny feeling in his chest kept pulsating and feeding into the fascination which had sorely compromised him before.

After the sleeping man swallowed, Dagur laid Hiccup back down with a heavy sigh. Next to him, the dragons watched with a keenness that was too much for his liking.

"What?" Dagur asked with a raised brow, "Ever seen a guy give mouth to mouth to another guy before?"

Both Sleuther and Toothless shook their heads in sync. "Didn't think so." Dagur stated then rolled his eyes as Toothless' expression grew cheekier.

"Ugh, cut it out already! There was nothing to it!" Dagur exclaimed then the dragon rolled its eyes as well then made a 'pfft' sound.

Dagur huffed, sucked in his breath, nostrils flared, and death stared the Night Fury who did not seem scared the slightest.

"Look I'm only doing it because Hiccup needs to take his medicine and I can't do it with only one functioning hand alright?" Dagur tried raising his bandaged covered left arm and hand with an irritated look, "I'm doing it for his own good, so lay off with the staring, I've got to prepare breakfast."

Toothless made another snarky sound but the Berserker ignored it.

With one last huff, Dagur turned his back on the dragons then turned to their provisions. This, whatever it was, would have to wait as the sun was already up and breakfast was due. When he got back up, with their dragons' help, Dagur trudged toward the baskets he brought from the boat to check what provisions they had left.

The basket for the fish was empty but at least there were some bread and fruit stored in a couple of the other baskets.

"Looks like we're gonna need to get more fish." Dagur stated as Sleuther trotted to his side and peered into the empty fish basket to sniff it. "We were supposed to go fishing soon but…"

Without another second, the Triple Stryke dragon turned around to the mouth of the cave and began hopping toward it. "Wait Sleuther! Where are you going?" Dagur tried to chase after but the pain from his injuries barely let him get further than a step.

Noticing that its rider followed, the Triple Stryke dragon turned back around and roared at him.

"Wha-What's got you all worked up?" Dagur asked and the dragon waved its tail at him before stabbing the dirt and drawing a line. One of its pincers then pointed at Hiccup and Toothless before turning to the mouth of the cave and launching itself into the air until it was out of sight.

Gob smacked, Dagur turned to Toothless who looked at him with a nonchalant expression. The dragon merely laid beside Hiccup then warbled at him. Dagur couldn't understand of course.

"Do you also boss Hiccup around every now and then?" Dagur asked and the Night Fury made a smug expression then cheekily waved its head.

"Must be a dragon thing." Dagur rolled his eyes, then grabbed the basket containing the fruits and bread and painfully managed to drag it toward Hiccup and Toothless. He placed the basket beside the Night Fury's tail then reached inside for a piece of bread before he gestured it to Toothless.

"Guess we'll eat what we've got until Sleuther gets back." The Berserker stated, to which Toothless nodded then bit the end of the bread before Dagur took a bite for himself.

It wasn't long before Sleuther returned. Before this, Toothless helped Dagur hang some of his wet garments and fabrics to dry, including his cape. The Triple Stryke approached Dagur and Toothless with a mouth full of fish, probably from the sea or a nearby stream. The Triple Stryke proceeded to spill the contents of its mouth in the fish basket, and almost filled the container to the brim. Dagur thanked his dragon and the beast nuzzled its snout on his cheek in response.

As the day went by, Hiccup's temperature fluctuated. Sometimes, the Hooligan would suddenly wake up seemingly groggy and spacey regarding his surroundings before Dagur and Toothless frantically scampered to check on him. The brunet wouldn't say much, in fact he didn't seem to register much of his surroundings save for going outside the cave for some private time alone.

Toothless assisted Hiccup during these times while Dagur waited at the entrance of the cave with Sleuther until the duo returned. In one of the occasions, Hiccup turned to Dagur with a weakened smile and said thanks which Dagur replied, "No problem, it's what brothers do."

The slightly dazed brunet nodded weakly before returning to his makeshift bed of sheets and Toothless tucked him back in.

It was only a matter of time before he recovered and at least the other chief did not seem to remember much of what had happened since he fell ill, much to Dagur's relief. For now, all Dagur could do was give Hiccup more medicine so the fever wouldn't come back. When he wasn't taking care of Hiccup, Dagur tended to his wounds.

The dragons groaned with worry at the very sound of him writhing in pain, but he constantly reassured them that he was fine. Sleuther wasn't usually the type to show concern about things however, Dagur could tell that his dragon was quite a softy in the inside. The Triple Stryke purred affectionately as it nuzzled Dagur after his dressings were replaced by some of the fabrics Dagur hung to dry earlier.

At times, his dragon flew out of the cave to fulfill some errands for Dagur such as refilling the water jar and hunting fish. Toothless would also leave the cave and gather some branches filled with fruits and berries which Dagur gathered and placed into the baskets for dinner.

Every now and then, Dagur noticed the other man stir in his sleep, muttering incomprehensible syllables and thrashing slightly. During these times, the Berserker would shuffle next to Hiccup and check Hiccup's temperature. When it was too hot, Dagur would place a small soaked fabric on Hiccup's forehead. Despite the aches and pains from his body, Dagur pushed himself and during those times, the dragons always moaned with worry.

"It's alright gang, I can handle it. I'm a big boy now." Dagur reassured the dragons again and sent Toothless to retrieve his cape from outside. The purple fabric was surely dry by now and Dagur laid it atop Hiccup to help the man get warmer.

The brunet stirred but eventually settled when Dagur found his fingers subconsciously running through Hiccup's hair.

A few seconds passed before Dagur realized what he was doing and pulled his hand back, then placed both hands together and looked away as if he had just done something he shouldn't had again. He then glanced to his side to look at the dragons who probably wondered why he stopped.

"Oh, don't look at me like that." Dagur grimaced as guilt stirred in his gut. "I don't think Hiccup would like it if I touched his hair like that…"

The Berserker could imagine it, Hiccup shaking his head and brushing his hand away.

"I mean it's not like I don't like taking care of sick people. I've taken care of lots of sick people before like Heather and several others…but Hiccup's different- he'll-," Dagur paused as he thought carefully of what he was about to say to the dragons.

"Hiccup never likes it when I try to help him out…" The words hurt as much as he thought about them. "I know you guys are okay with it but you know what he's like right, Toothless?" The Berserker turned to the Night Fury with a deep frown.

"Since we were kids, Hiccup never liked it when I tried to help him out." The redhead chieftain said while shaking his head, "I mean sure I wasn't the best at expressing my intentions to people being deranged and all but now…"

He paused for a moment to carefully think of the following words, "You know what he'd think…"

"If Hiccup were to find out what I did for him while he was unconscious then I'm sure he'd be upset. He'll probably give me a lecture and be like: _'Don't touch me Dagur'_ or more like _'Keep your hands to yourself Dagur'_ \- _'Don't kiss me like that Dagur_ \- '" Suddenly the redhead stopped upon realizing what he had just said. When he glanced back at the dragons, Sleuther remained expressionless on the other hand, Toothless smirked with a mixture of smugness and cheekiness.

Blood began to rush through Dagur's cheeks and he was sure they were red. "E-hem…uhhh…"

Unable to find the words, the Berserker began to laugh. "HahaHA! A _Kiss?_ Where did that come from?" Dagur scratched the back of his head. "What's gotten in to me?"

He placed his right hand on his face then grimaced, "It's the herbs. It's definitely the herbal medicine that Hiccup's taking from my mouth…"

Without another word, Dagur slumped down next to Hiccup, his shoulders slouched, and mouth frowned even deeper. At times like these, Dagur would meditate. It wasn't always at times when he was mad when he needed to meditate and clear his thoughts. Whenever his nerves got unbearable, he'd get into position, legs crossed and wrists resting on his knees. Unfortunately, being in his current state, he couldn't move his body to that position.

So, he resorted to deep breaths, closing his eyes and sitting up straight. He tried his best to clear his mind of any worries and chaos. He removed thoughts of his injuries, Hiccup's stirring, the dragons who watched and the outside world. The clearer his mind became, the darker it got but at least there was peace.

Within the darkness in his mind, clouds began to form into shapes that envisioned blurry scenes. He could hear people's voices conversing and right at the center of it was Hiccup's voice, angry and disapproving like the time when they were on the island being hunted by the dragon hunters.

 _"You're a fake Dagur! A fake! I hate you! Do you hear me?! I hate you!"_

Or when Dagur visited the others on the Edge.

 _"It's telling me not to trust you."_

When the cloudy visions got too much, Dagur gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut until he gasped himself awake. His eyes shot wide open and he panted heavily before he noticed the dragons at their positions had watched the entire time.

"Grr! Argh! Why is this happening?" Dagur slapped his right hand on his face again with an expression filled with frustration. "Just when things were going so well!"

He took a moment to compose himself before turning to the Night Fury beside them, "Hiccup's gonna hate me isn't he?"

The black scaled dragon shook its head and moaned to disagree. However, the Berserker groaned to himself and shook his head, "You know it's true. I've got a track record of doing stupid things and hurting people even when I'm trying to help."

Suddenly, memories of his childhood and the Edge with Heather flickered through his mind like rushing water from a broken dam, "How do I expect myself to not feel bad for wanting to help when all the other times that I've helped Hiccup, I always screw things up?"

He asked the dragons who remained silent but with sympathetic expressions. The redhead glanced down at Hiccup's soft expression then looked away.

"I dunno guys, it's just, I'm still trying to figure out where my place is or where I stand around him…" The Berserker said while staring at the wall of the cave in front of him. "I know he said he's forgiven me and all but I still can't help but feel worried that what I'm doing is wrong. That even though my intentions are good, it may not come across that way to him you know? I'm scared that after everything that's happened, Hiccup will hate me like he did all those years ago."

His fists clenched tightly then eased after he sucked in a breath to look up at the ceiling of the cave, "I'm probably just overthinking things." Then he turned to the dragons before he continued, "Both of you won't tell him what happened, won't you?"

Dagur glanced at both dragons who gave each other a look of confusion.

"Oh gods, what am I thinking? Dragons can't talk…" Dagur pointed out and the dragons nodded along with what he said, "But you guys sure can understand everything that's going on…"

A fond smile began to form on Dagur's face as the feeling of panic began to subdue in his chest, "I'm glad I have both of you here. Without your help, who knows how Hiccup and I could've survived this."

The dragons seemed to appreciate his words by the way they cooed and purred.

"Maybe I shouldn't have gone on this mission with Hiccup. Maybe I should've stayed behind and let the others go with him." The Berserker turned away from the dragons to set his gaze to the darkness of the cave. "I bet you the others would know how to take care of him better than I ever can. Betcha Astrid would be the perfect candidate instead of me…"

A sinking feeling began to surge in Dagur's chest when the words rolled out of his tongue. He sat slouching for a moment to ponder on what he had just said when he felt something press against his garments.

"Don't leave…" Hiccup whimpered, and the man's hand tightly clutched onto Dagur's garment. The brunet was still unconscious and was probably sleep talking and Dagur knew it was not directed to him.

However, Dagur felt warmth in his chest. He placed his hands on the brunet's and rubbed his thumb on the warm skin before pulling it toward him. A heavy sigh escaped the redhead while a smile subconsciously formed on his face.

"I'm not gonna leave you Hiccup. You're my friend and we're in this together." Dagur whispered to the Hooligan even though he knew the other man couldn't hear him.

Eventually, his gaze moved to the dragons that continued to watch. It was beginning to be a common thing for them to watch.

"What?" Dagur asked the scaly beasts who eventually turned away to lay in their respective posts, Sleuther to the mouth of the cave while Toothless, right above Hiccup's head. The Berserker was tempted to say a snarky comment but couldn't bring himself since at that moment, nothing could sullen his uplifted mood.

Without realizing it, this mood gradually made way for sleep to slowly claim Dagur's consciousness.

It was dark when Dagur woke up and without realizing it, he slept with his hands firmly clasped with Hiccup's hand. Since their hands remained joined, Hiccup didn't wake up since he fell asleep which spread relief in Dagur's chest. He let go before rousing himself slowly, carefully trying not to wake up the other man. Even Toothless and Sleuther were asleep, probably not long after he did.

The Berserker took in a deep breath before a yawn escaped his mouth. Crickets creaked in the jungle and the wind howled after passing through the mouth of the cave. Only the light of the moon shone his surroundings and Hiccup's soft expression. Dagur placed a hand on the other man' forehead to check Hiccup's temperature and much to his relief, felt no sign of the fever.

Usually Dagur would pull his hand away after checking however at that moment, he felt like dragging his hand on Hiccup's face until his fingers caressed the other man's left cheek. Unbeknownst to Dagur, two pairs of large green and small red eyes watched his movements and stared keenly. Only when Dagur looked up did he notice the Night Fury and his Triple Stryke watching and he immediately removed his hands from Hiccup's face.

"I was uhh- ehem-," Dagur stammered frantically before clearing his throat to compose himself. "Anyone hungry for dinner?" he asked dragons who didn't answer but he carried on nonetheless. "I'll go make us some dinner…"

"Sleuther, can you help me uhh set up the grill?" Dagur asked then the Triple Stryke followed.

It took almost half an hour to grill Dagur's share of the fish. Toothless and Sleuther on the other hand shared the remaining contents of the fish basket while Dagur feasted next to Hiccup. The light of the fire illuminated the darkness of the cave and he could see its smoke being expulsed outside, and he hoped for no dragon attacks tonight. When he finished, he asked the dragons to eat what was left before he shuffled next to Hiccup's side and watched the other man sleep.

"I never noticed that Hiccup had a cut on his chin until recently after I met his mother, Valka. She told me the story of how her dragon accidentally cut Hiccup's face when he was a baby before taking her away." Dagur explained to the dragons who watched keenly as the redhead laid beside the brunet. "He definitely took after her more so than Stoick."

"I never knew my mother, dad said that she looked a lot like Heather, dark hair and green eyes. If she was around, I'd like her to meet Hiccup." The Berserker commented then quickly realized what he just said.

"I mean, as a friend- of course as a friend, why else would I introduce Hiccup to my mom for? I mean that's the sort of stuff you do when you like someone right?" Dagur asked the dragons who sat at other side watching them, their faces began to fill with confusion and uncertainty.

"Ignore what I said, I talk too much. My lips are zipped from now on." Dagur said with a small chuckle. Sleuther remained expressionless but nonetheless attentive while Toothless rolled its eyes with sassiness.

Dagur then bit out, "Hey, I saw that." Suddenly, the man next to him began to stir. Hiccup's expression was slightly pained as if he was dreaming about something troubling. Dagur shuffled closer to reassure the other man despite Hiccup's unconsciousness.

"I'm here Hiccup. Don't you worry, Dagur's here." Dagur reassured and took Hiccup's hand with his right hand before his left hand shakily followed. The Berserker felt his fingers firmly clasp the other man's hand for more reassurance.

The brunet stirred some more then his lips parted. A whimper escaped those lips as Hiccup tried to push out a sound, "A-,"

Dagur leaned close, his face merely inches from Hiccup's face to listen carefully.

"Astrid…"

It wasn't a word that left Hiccup's lips. It was a name.

The burnet's stirring stopped as sleep reclaimed him once more while the redhead felt his own heart stop. Dagur slowly pulled away from the other man and felt his grip loosen from the other man's warm hand as his own turned icy and cold. A frown began to form on his face and it deepened no matter how hard he tried for it not to.

The dragons watching no longer watched with puzzled expressions but instead, their faces wore pity. Dagur painstakingly brought himself up, without even accepting help from the dragons, then proceeded to the mouth of the cave where he rested his shoulder and stared at the sky.

The moon looked so beautiful that night, so bright and shaped like a perfect disc of white light however he could not bring himself to appreciate it. Nor the stars, the soft outline of clouds in the sky or the cool scent of fresh air eased the agonizing pain curdling in his chest.

Behind him, he heard footsteps approach and eventually revealing Toothless' head and right beside it, Sleuther's. Their faces peered up at him with solemn worry.

"I'm okay guys, ehem…" Dagur cleared his throat to push away the heavy and sinking sensation from his core. "Just need a little bit of air that's all."

He didn't need to say anything to them nor did he want them to, but somehow, he had a feeling that they understood everything that was going on.

And Dagur wished they could tell him using human words because right then and there, he didn't understand what he was feeling-

Or why.

 **End of Chapter 7.**


	8. Caving In

**Authors note:** Just reminding everyone that this story DOES NOT take into account the events of Season 6 of Race To The Edge. This story only takes into account all the events of all the seasons of Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, all of RTTE (except for season 6 of course) and HTTYD 2. This story is based after HTTYD 2, so the events of RTTE Season 6 are non-existent in this story.

 **Chapter 8 – Caving In:**

Scrawny and skinny as Hiccup was compared to other Vikings, he was not sickly. He went through the common cold like all the others and even had chicken pox like the rest of the children. What Hiccup didn't get often were high fevers, the kind that made him unconscious for days on end.

During this period, Hiccup was unable to discern his surroundings let alone stay conscious for longer than a few moments. He could barely even remember the moments when he needed to use the jungle for private business. He could scarcely remember Toothless, Sleuther or even Dagur for that matter.

There were some glimpses of his party being around him, but Hiccup was barely awake to be able to interact let alone have any control of what was going on. He did however, remember the bitter taste of medicine that Dagur gave him. He remembered it even though he didn't remember the times he took them. Still the horrible taste lingered but that wasn't the worst part.

The worst part was when the nightmares started. There were plenty of episodes when Hiccup's mind replayed all the horrible things that plagued his mind for years such as the destruction of the Edge, the dragon hunters, Drago and eventually his father's death.

Unbearable sadness overwhelmed Hiccup whenever he remembered how he lost his father, as if the very ground he stood on collapsed and swallowed him into a pit of darkness. The swirl of despair sent him reaching out to his father and crying out 'don't leave'. When he did, he found his body halting from the fall as he clung onto someone's hand, someone whose face he could not discern from the bright light that showed behind the person's head like a halo from an angel from Valhalla.

Somehow, the figure before seemed familiar but Hiccup couldn't put his finger on how or in what way the figure was familiar, let alone who it was. All he knew was that when he was in the presence of this angelic figure, he felt warmth deep inside his chest and his mind seemed clearer and quieter, as if all his troubles went away just by the warm light touching his face.

The nightmare soon became a flightless dream as he slept soundly throughout the rest of it until another claimed his consciousness. This new nightmare was filled with as much sorrow as all the other ones only this time, it envisioned a future. A future where all the others frowned at Hiccup for failing them as a chief and a friend. Even his fiancée Astrid couldn't bear to look at him as she turned her back and walked away.

Then Hiccup reached out for her amidst the roiling mist of darkness all around. The angel from his other dream was present but only for a short period of time before disappearing from his sight. He prayed to the gods to forgive him. He remembered saying their names, every single one like whispers in a temple. And when he finished, he called out to his friends. All of them. Until the very last person's name drew him back to the land of the living.

"Dagur!"

Hiccup yelped out as he woke up, slightly disoriented and groggy. Wrapped around him were sheets slightly damp by his sweat but not soaked. Most of it was dry. Atop of the sheets, Dagur's purple cape spread out, the Skrill insignia looking fiercer than he remembered it.

Getting up, Hiccup realized that he was still in the cave since the last time he woke up. The cave was dark further in while the jungle outside thrived in the light of the day. Right behind Hiccup, Toothless cooed and leaned in close to nuzzle its rider.

"Toothless, bud, I've missed you." Hiccup petted his dragon that moaned with longing, then gazed into the beast's big green eyes. "I'm sorry I've been out of it for so long, but I think I'm better now. I'm pretty sure I'll be okay from now on."

Moving his legs, Hiccup noticed that his prosthetic was removed and placed against the wall of the cave not far from him. With his dragon's help, he hopped toward it and attached it back to his leg. Sucking in a deep breath, Hiccup smelt fresh jungle air and a subtle scent of charred wood. Near his bed, a burned pile of wood laid with rocks around it, Dagur had probably used it to light up the cave at night and keep them warm. Thinking of the Berserker, he wondered where he was. Sleuther laid at the mouth of the cave and was awake since it was eyeing him and Toothless. However, the dragon did not move from its place nor made a sound, so Hiccup walked over to it, with Toothless right behind to check if something was wrong.

Upon closer inspection, Hiccup found the person in question.

Dagur laid next to Sleuther, with the dragon's wing atop of him as a blanket. The redhead snored softly, mouth agape and right arm thrown over his head. Around the Berserker were several empty jars from the ship and when Hiccup picked up one to smell, it reeked of mead.

Judging from the numerous jars around both the dragon and rider, Hiccup guessed that Dagur had one too many last night. It didn't annoy Hiccup the slightest since he could not thank the redheaded chief enough for taking care of him and their dragons.

It took a few seconds before Hiccup realized the wide and fond smile forming on his face. The brunet snapped out of it when Dagur turned to his side, mumbling something before curling into a ball. Sleuther moved its wing to cover its rider some more, shielding him from the cold.

Hiccup walked over to his sheets, grabbed Dagur's cape and brought it toward the Triple Stryke. "Mind if you put up your wing for a sec Sleuther?" Hiccup asked the three-tailed dragon and it nodded before raising its wing.

Hiccup knelt next to Dagur and wrapped the cape around the Berserker from shoulder down. The cape wasn't big enough and Hiccup should've taken another sheet or two but Dagur unconsciously clung onto the fabric and whimpered slightly.

Looking closely, Hiccup noticed the redhead's left arm and leg covered with a dressing, several of which had blood stains. He turned to the Triple Stryke dragon and asked, "Dagur…he's hurt. Did something happen while I was out of it?"

Sleuther gave Hiccup an confirming nod before covering its rider with its wing once more. The brunet grimaced at the thought of what had happened. If only he was awake, perhaps Dagur would not be in such a state. As guilt began to seethe in his chest, Toothless appeared to his side and cooed. The dragon nuzzled the side of its face on Hiccup's waist, reassuring him.

"I'll ask Dagur what happened when he wakes up. This time, I'm gonna return the favor."

Another fond smile began to form on Hiccup's face which his Night Fury seemed to notice due to the knowing warble that escaped it. Hiccup turned to the dark scaly beast beside and asked, "What?" then continued with, "he looked cold."

Toothless merely shook its head knowingly as if to insinuate the act as something else. Whatever was going through the Night Fury's mind and why it acted as such was beyond Hiccup. All he knew was that it was time to do some cleaning up then prepare breakfast.

Wind swept on Hiccup's face and through his hair as he flew in the sky on Toothless' back. On his way to prepare breakfast, the bright blue sky called out to him. Though it had only been a couple of days, he had sorely missed the feeling of being able to soar the sky and see the clouds and sea beneath. The nauseating sensation he had these couple of days were but a distant memory, whatever Dagur gave him was certainly potent. And thank the gods it was since Hiccup felt like he was on top of the world again.

Or at least over it.

"It's good to not be sick bud." Hiccup said and his dragon growled approvingly. "Let's head back."

Returning to the cave, the Berserker remained asleep, the redhead's snoring filled the cave. The brunet gazed upon the other man as another fond smile formed on his face. At the corner of his eye, Hiccup noticed Toothless giving him another knowing look, as if the dragon was trying to insinuate something again.

"What?" Hiccup questioned the dragon, ignored it before moving on with preparing breakfast.

Inside some of the baskets against the wall of the cave were some fruits, berries and bread from the ship. Since he had not eaten for days, Hiccup gorged on his portion of breakfast and saved the rest for Dagur, while their dragons were content with some fish inside the fish basket. Just as Hiccup finished his breakfast, Dagur stirred then eventually roused from his sleep.

The redhead could barely open his eyes until Sleuther licked his face, startling him. Hiccup watched the exchange with Toothless beside him, then the brunet called out.

"Rise and shine Dagur! Looks like someone had a little bit too much to drink last night."

Suddenly, the Berserker noticed his presence and went wide eyed with shock.

"Hiccup…you're awake…" Dagur muttered lowly as if it was a bad thing but Hiccup let it slide while he grinned from ear to ear.

"All thanks to you." Hiccup responded with a wide smile forming on his face. "How are you doing?"

The Berserker did not answer right away, in fact, his eyes seemed to avoid Hiccup as he scratched the back of his neck with his right hand. Instead of asking the redhead of whatever it was that troubled him, Hiccup asked about the dressing all over Dagur's body. Firstly, he took Dagur's share of breakfast, walked over to the other man and gave it to him.

"So, you wanna tell me what happened?" Hiccup asked, and the question seemed to petrify the other man with shock. "With your arm I mean..." He continued as Dagur's behavior grew weirder like a heavy cloud hung above the Berserker.

"Ah yes! My arm…yeah…it was uhhh, a wild Deadly Nadder smelt the food we had and came around..." Dagur answered and went out of his way to look at any direction except Hiccup's for some reason. "But we took care of it. Not a single dragon came around ever since…"

Now the smile on Hiccup's face began to diminish and replaced by a solemn frown. The redhead started his breakfast and gave Hiccup a quick thanks but said nothing more. Tension quickly filled the room and the Hooligan itched to know why.

"Dagur, is everything alright?" Hiccup asked and shuffled closer to the other man who subconsciously shied away out of panic. The gesture made more questions than answers as the brunet eyed the clearly uncomfortable man.

"Y-yeah…everything's alright! Why wouldn't it be? Hehe, we're okay aren't we? We're cool…" The Berserker stammered.

"Dagur, I can tell that something's wrong. You're acting weird-," Hiccup paused for a moment to correct himself. "Weirder than usual."

The redhead's expression grew even more panicked that even the dragons next to them began to worry.

"I uhh-,"

"I'm just…"

"Well-,"

Dagur tried to get the words out but failed at every attempt, then Hiccup commented, "you're not making any sense." In despair, the Berserker groaned in frustration then placed his breakfast down before covering his face with his right hand.

"Will you excuse me for a moment?" Dagur asked and did not even wait for Hiccup to respond before trying to get up. His dragon helped and so did Hiccup but the Berserker insisted that he could handle himself then exited the cave. The Berserker began to mumble to himself as if there were two of him.

As much as Hiccup was used to the other chief's peculiarities, deep in his gut, something didn't add up.

Hiccup exchanged looks with the two dragons who looked just as confused as he was, before Sleuther followed its rider. Usually, Hiccup respected people's boundaries and let them be, especially since he'd appreciate being treated the same in return. However, something told him that whatever bothered Dagur had something to do with him, and every fiber of his being was dead serious to know what it was.

So when he turned to his Night Fury and said, "Something's definitely wrong with Dagur and we should go after him", the beast gave him an approving nod before he hopped on its back and rode out of the cave and into the dark jungle.

"Dagur wait!" Hiccup called out, but the Berserker kept walking and cried out, "I'm okay, Hiccup! I just wanna be alone for a bit."

"Dagur-," Hiccup was just about to cut the Berserker off when the redhead turned the other way, back to the direction of their cave. The brunet nudged Toothless to leap over the berserker then land at the front to stop him from his tracks. "Dagur would you stop!"

Toothless snarled at the Berserker who held his hands up to surrender. Hiccup got down then walked over to the other man before he asked, "Jeez, what's the matter with you? And don't say nothing-,"

"Nothing…" Dagur replied and it made Hiccup roll his eyes.

"Look, something's clearly wrong and I just wanna know what it is." The Hooligan asked and took a step forward by which Dagur stepped back, only to have his back pressed against his Triple Stryke dragon.

"Why?" the Berserker asked, and it made Hiccup's nostrils flare.

"Because I just woke up." The brunet replied then continued, "I haven't exactly been conscious these past couple of days and now that I am, I was hoping you could tell me what you've been up to or what's been bothering you because you weren't like this before I got sick…so please tell me…"

The Berserker's expression scrunched, and head snapped to the side, "I can't-,"

"Why not?" Hiccup asked.

"Just because!" The redhead exclaimed with fists on his sides.

"Because what?" Hiccup questioned further but the Berserker closed his eyes and sealed his lips some more.

With a sullen sigh, Hiccup muttered, "Please Dagur, work with me here…since we started this mission, we're partners. We're in this together. You took care of me while I was out of it, so I'd like to return the favor. If something's bothering you, I'd like to help."

"I don't-," Dagur replied, expression filled with sorrow. "I don't deserve your help."

"Why would you say that?" The brunet asked, shaking his head.

"It's because it's the truth. I don't deserve your help, I can't do anything right…" Dagur's shoulders slumped and his lips formed a heavy frown.

"You know that's not true Dagur, what even brought this on?" The brunet asked, stepping forward, closing the gap between them.

Dagur paused for a moment, sighed deeply then looked up to Hiccup. "I'm sorry."

The brunet raised a brow, "For what? I don't understand, now you're apologizing?"

"I'm sorry for taking you away from the others…" Dagur paused for a second then continued, "From your mom, your friends and Astrid."

A pregnant and tense silence filled the atmosphere as Hiccup tried to wonder where this came from. The Berserker broke the silence to further explain. "While you were out of it, you called out to them and it made me wonder about some things…"

The redhead bowed his head then turned it to the side, "I feel so guilty for taking you away from them because out of everyone, I'm the last person who should be in this mission with you-,"

Hiccup had to cut him off, "Don't say that-,"

Immediately, Dagur did the same, "It's true Hiccup. Things have changed, you have a mom and a fiancée now and I- I took you away from them. They should be the ones who should be with you not me. I'm nowhere near as worthy to be around you as them."

"I'm unworthy…I'm just…nothing…"

Without a moment longer, Hiccup found himself closing the gap between him and Dagur to wrap his arms around the other man. The Berserker was rendered silent from the suddenness, his fists unclenched, and eyes blew wide open while Hiccup whispered to his ear, "Stop. Just please stop."

The brunet closed his eyes as he tried to dissolve the words that Dagur said from his mind. "Don't ever think that you're nothing Dagur. You're far from that." When he opened his eyes, he pulled from the hug and placed a hand on Dagur's right shoulder and looked the other man in the eye. Dagur's expression was no longer masked with somberness, it was replaced by attentiveness.

"You've done so much for everyone you care about, for Heather, the Berserkers, your friends and I-I won't have you call yourself those things because they're not true. They're not true you hear me?" Hiccup pointed a finger at the other man as he lectured, and the redhead nodded.

Hiccup removed his hand from Dagur's shoulder then a sigh left the brunet before he added, "I wouldn't have made it this far without you and I'm sure you're giving it your all for this mission. We all are. So please, don't say or even think of those things about yourself. You're worth just as much as all the others. No spares, you got that?" he questioned and this time, the Berserker nodded firmly.

The tension between them gradually subsided as both their expressions eased and softened. To break the silence, Dagur replied, "Thanks Hiccup."

"You're welcome." Hiccup smiled widely then continued, "It must've been hard, trying to manage things while I was sick."

Dagur slightly chuckled to himself then gestured to the dragons. "It wasn't so bad. I've got these guys to help me out."

"I bet." Hiccup nodded then petted Toothless' head. Both chiefs smiled at each other for a moment before Dagur grabbed Hiccup's attention.

"Hey Hiccup…" The Berserker fidgeted and scratched the back of his head, "there's actually another thing that I need to tell you."

"Yeah?" The brunet answered with a question then Dagur continued, "And I can totally understand if you get mad alright? I accept full responsibility and won't ever do it again."

Curiosity took hold of Hiccup once more as he asked, "What is it?"

However, the other man didn't reply, he merely looked around with worry in his expression as he did earlier. "Dagur, whatever it is, it can't be that bad." Hiccup commented.

"Well…while you were sick, I had to give you some medicine." Dagur stammered then paused again so Hiccup urged him, "And?"

The Berserker sighed, pain gradually masked his attention as if he had done something wrong. "Then the Nadder attacked and I got hurt. I couldn't move my left hand and arm properly, but you still had to take your medicine…" Dagur looked down on his dressings, the blood was dry, but the memory remained fresh. "And I couldn't exactly do it with one functioning hand, so I had you take it in another way."

"How?" Hiccup asked and was beginning to worry himself.

Dagur took a moment to answer then the words left his lips, "With my mouth…"

It took a few seconds for Hiccup to register what the other man had said when eventually a few images began to appear in his mind. Though they were cloudy, his mind zoned into Dagur's face and lips like how they would be if Hiccup was aware of what was happening around him.

Eventually, blood started to rush in his veins and his cheeks felt warm with embarrassment as the thought of Dagur's lips overwhelmed Hiccup's imagination over and over again. His feet were immovable, immobilized in their place like chained by his consciousness. Then, his attention was eventually caught by the sound of Dagur's voice, frantically apologizing to him.

"I'm really sorry for this Hiccup. I didn't know what else to do so I had you take your medicine that way and I know it's completely out of line for me to do that since I know you wouldn't be comfortable, but you were unconscious so I panicked-," Panicked was certainly right as the Berserker dug his fingers in his hair, explaining at breakneck speed.

"Dagur-," He tried to interrupt but the Berserker kept going.

"And I swear to never do it again!" When the Berserker finished, Hiccup gradually composed himself. He internally silenced his thoughts and began to breath in and out through his nose.

"Dagur it's alright…" Hiccup responded and felt relief gradually swell inside his chest.

With a questionable brow, the redhead asked, "Really?"

"Yeah really." He replied as a smile began to form on his face. However, Hiccup could still feel the sensation of embarrassment under his cheeks as he scratched the back of his head while he reassured, "I mean it wasn't what I was expecting. But given the situation, I can understand why you did it…I can't say I'd do the same but then again, who knows?"

The Berserker scanned his expression, still skeptical, "So you're not mad?"

The staring did not help resolve the images that flickered in Hiccup's mind, "Mad? Pfft, why would I be mad?" He asked with a high pitch that gave everything away.

"Your voice is squeaky and you're all red, that means you're lying and you're really mad." Dagur accused which made Hiccup frantically disagree.

"No, Dagur I'm not mad! Just…slightly embarrassed that's all. It's not often I hear someone telling me that they helped me drink my medicine, with their mouth…" The skinny chief's gaze fell on the Berserker's lips once more and was rendered speechless for some reason.

All the while, the dragons around them merely and quietly watched the interaction unfold.

Without questioning further, Dagur nodded then placed his right hand on his hip to add, "I completely understand, and if it makes you feel any better, I did not use my tongue."

Hiccup blinked at the comment and decided to drop the subject altogether, "Okay, we'll leave it at that. Is there anything else you'd like to tell me while I was out?"

Not that Hiccup was expecting any other up close and personal experiences from the Berserker however his conscience was dying to know.

"Nah, that's everything." Dagur replied casually, the tone bore no malice whatsoever and oblivious to Hiccup's internal panic.

"Excellent! What do you say we head back and clear out of this island? I'm sure we still have plenty of time sailing to Avatross. Unless if you wanna stay for a bit longer." Hiccup suggested and was glad that they moved past the topic.

Dagur took a moment to think about it then sniffed the air before scrunching his face at what he smelt. "Maybe after cleaning ourselves first? I think we reek."

"I agree." Hiccup nodded then a chuckle left them both before they headed back to the cave.

 **End of Chapter 8.**


	9. One Way Or Another

**Authors note:** Just reminding everyone that this story DOES NOT take into account the events of Season 6 of Race To The Edge. This story only takes into account all the events of all the seasons of Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, all of RTTE (except for season 6 of course) and HTTYD 2. This story is based after HTTYD 2, so the events of RTTE Season 6 are non-existent in this story.

 **Chapter 9 - One Way Or Another:**

After cleaning up and stocking their ship with provisions, the two chiefs and their dragons commenced their course. Under the vast blue sky with patches of white clouds scattered throughout, it seemed that things went back to normal aboard SS Beowulf. Well normal would be the best word to use for now since Hiccup wasn't entirely sure how to describe it.

They worked on copying the map from the dragon eye lens on paper as they sailed toward the horizon. Dagur volunteered to sketch the map since it was the least physically strenuous task in the ship. Hiccup on the other hand, handled the navigation and sailing of the ship.

Within an hour or so, the lanky brunet checked to see how the Berserker was doing. The Berserker's attention to detail and steady strokes were almost as good as his and that was saying something since Hiccup was an experienced cartographer. The redhead continued sketching the map from where Hiccup left off several nights ago and it wouldn't be long before they were done. Not to mention Dagur's genius idea of purchasing a current map of Avatross from the Northern Markets helped a lot.

In the meantime, Hiccup sailed the ship while Dagur supervised every now and then. Though Hiccup did not have much experience with sailing a vessel, the other chief was surprisingly calm and instructive. At first glance, Dagur did not seem the type to be so gentle and constructive with teaching nor providing support. Yet there he was, right next to Hiccup through every step of the way.

The dressings on the Berserker were brand new because the previous ones got wet from their bath. Hiccup helped Dagur replace it and it wasn't that hard since he had done it to dragons before. Plus, it was made effortless with their cooperation. Right now, the sight was almost hard to believe, both of them working together, but for Hiccup it felt right. His trust for the Berserker seemingly grew the more time they spent together.

Not that he didn't trust the other man before…well there were moments of doubt every now and then. Especially when the redhead showed his old-self, from the maniacal laughs and sudden furious outbursts. The Hooligan still needed to get used to the new Dagur like how he was with other riders long ago, and it was only a matter of time before he did. After all, he never used to get along with Snotlout, the twins and even Astrid for that matter, then it all changed.

And he could clearly tell that Dagur had changed for the better. Much better in fact that Hiccup took a moment to reminisce at all the things that the Berserker said on the island. Unknown to him, a fond smile began to form on his face while he replayed the memories of Dagur worrying about him.

Only when Toothless nudged him with its wing did Hiccup snap out of it. His Night Fury gave him another knowing look, like the one he gave on the island which Hiccup still didn't understand. His dragon only got like this whenever Dagur was involved and it was starting to annoy him.

Suddenly Toothless went wide eyed and began blinking at Hiccup as if to mock him which only made his rider's eyes squint with anger.

"Hey Dagur." Hiccup called out and the Berserker turned to his direction then responded.

"Yeah?"

"Toothless seems a little restless. I think we're gonna do some scouting to check where we are on the map." Hiccup stated without removing his leer from the Night Fury who only mocked him some more before sticking its tongue out.

"Uhh sure!" Dagur answered, clueless to the exchange unfolding before him then handed the map to Hiccup's grasp.

"We'll be right back." Hiccup answered then hopped on Toothless before they launched into the air. When they were high enough, Hiccup made sure to not fly too far from the ship. Despite having Sleuther, Dagur was still injured and he wouldn't risk having the Berserker mind the ship on his own against whatever lives in the seas.

In the sky, Hiccup lectured his dragon but the Night Fury merely feigned ignorance. This rebelliousness was not unheard of from Toothless but something about this set an uncomfortable feeling in Hiccup's gut that made it difficult to focus on his scouting task. Not even half-an hour had passed, Hiccup returned to the ship to commence sailing. The Berserker returned to sketching the map while Hiccup headed to the steering wheel as if nothing was going through the Hooligan's mind.

"Hey Hiccup, what do you think Avatross is going to be like?" Dagur asked without removing his eyes from his work. Hiccup turned to the man next to him to answer, "I don't know. I've never been there, and I don't know anyone who has."

"Do you think they ride dragons too?" Dagur added the question but this time, his gaze moved to the brunet's direction.

"I dunno. Maybe…" Hiccup paused for a moment, "For all we know, we and the dragon hunters are the only ones who can fly dragons."

After Hiccup finished, memories of the other times when they met new communities in the archipelago flashed in his mind. The Defenders of the Wing, the Outcasts and even the people in the Northern Markets didn't take too well seeing Hiccup and the other riders with dragons at the beginning. Some were used to seeing dragons either attacking or locked up in a cage. It was sad to think that it could be the same when they reach Avatross.

"Hiccup."

The brunet snapped out of his train of thought blinkingly.

"What?"

A frown formed on Dagur's face before he continued, "I said, I'm not sure if going to new lands with our dragons is a good idea."

The thought had occurred to Hiccup before, however he dismissed it in the hopes of seeing the new world. "I know Dagur. I know the risks but…" The brunet's gaze moved to the dragons who were playing with each other on the deck before returning to face the other chief.

"Toothless and Sleuther are our friends. We couldn't just leave them behind-,"

"I didn't say we should've left them behind." Dagur interjected. "All I'm saying is, with how little we know about this new place, we need to be very prepared- as much as we can."

The Berserker walked away from the drawing desk to the bannister to set his eyes on the dragons. "We need to be prepared for the times when we don't have our dragons with us. If we're to find out the movements of the hunters as well as the location of the Skrill, we gotta immerse ourselves with the locals and familiarize with the terrain. The people in Avatross may not take too kindly to having dragons around, or maybe they do. They might not even take kindly to us since we're not like them. We may not even speak their language or dress the way they do. Lots of things need to be considered when travelling to unknown territory."

When the Berserker finished, Hiccup couldn't help but form a wide smile on his face.

"What's that smile for? Was it something I said?" Dagur asked and the brunet lanky chief quickly dismissed it.

"N-Actually yeah! It's about everything you said." Hiccup responded which caused the redhead's expression to be masked with bewilderment. "I mean, you seem to know a lot about travelling to distant places, to new lands…" Hiccup held up his right hand and moved it from left to right.

"Not a lot of people think about these sorts of things. Most of the time they try not to go anywhere but the places they already know because of the fear of the unknown but you- you seem to have put a lot of thought in this, probably more than I have." Hiccup paused but the smile never left his face. "And that's great. I'm really impressed." Then the lanky brunet nodded.

"Uhh thanks, I guess I like being prepared…" The Berserker rubbed the back of his head then gazed away from Hiccup. "That's very nice of you to say." He added.

No doubt, the redhead's cheeks began to redden. Hiccup noticed but made no comment about it to avoid making things awkward. Both chiefs returned to their positions to busy themselves with their tasks. In their minds, questions about their great undertaking surged and even began to think of some answers.

The one question they didn't address were the looks they exchanged every now and then, like at times when Hiccup thought the Berserker wasn't looking even though Dagur could clearly tell he was being watched.

Only when they broke into discussion about a subject regarding Avatross and whatever else they knew about the continent were when both men eased on the staring. During those times, the ambiance didn't seem too tense as if they could hear what the other person was thinking. Even the tension from earlier was soon forgotten as the men engaged in their discussions regarding the map and their experiences with new lands, from Hiccup's discovery of the different parts of the Archipelago to Dagur's adventures with the Berserker Armada.

Without question, sharing ideas and strategies on how to survive in the new world was certainly interesting. It made sailing and working on the map less tedious. They learnt there was a forest called Frenzy Forest which covered a large portion of the map and had several images of the Skrill insignia throughout. There were some towns and patches of civilization that were not located in the dragon eye lens but designed in the new map.

They continued their work until the sky was blanketed in darkness and the torches were lit. But eventually, the chiefs decided to call it a day and stored their things away to prepare supper. Earlier in the afternoon, Hiccup and Toothless caught some fish and even came across a pod of Sea Shockers heading to the horizon. This became the subject of the chiefs' conversation over supper as well as the remembrance of the time when Dagur was electrocuted by the Skrill.

The memory was so vivid to Hiccup that the brunet couldn't help but chuckle.

"It's not funny!" Dagur bit out but the Hooligan could not stop himself even if he tried.

"I got you so good! Hahaha!" Now Hiccup was laughing out loud and it did not dampen the Berserker's anger. The chieftains teased each other and laughed like they were children again. Perhaps if things weren't so rocky between them before, Hiccup might had been friends with Dagur.

He dwelled on the idea for a moment then remembered all the things the old Dagur did when they were young. Things like locking up Fishlegs in a cage or using Hiccup as a knife throwing target. The Hooligan tried to diminish such thoughts in his head since the redhead before him was no longer that person.

Dagur was now a dragon rider, one of their own and a friend. Every now and then, Hiccup needed to remind himself that things had changed, that people could change.

Well at least _some_ could.

By nightfall, the two men had set everything up, so they and their dragons could rest for the night. Fortunately for them, the skies were clear and covered with stars as far as the eye could see. The water was calm and soothing as it splashed the hull of the ship, perfect for setting the vessel to remain on course while they all slept.

However, the ship going off course was the least of their problems. In the captain's chamber, well _their_ chamber rather, a new storm was brewing.

"Why are you being so stubborn?" Dagur questioned with a scowl.

"Because I can." Gazing upon the large bed covered by a large purple blanket with the Skrill insignia in the middle, Hiccup also scowled at the other man.

"Hiccup, you and I both know that there's more than enough room in my bed for two people. I've slept on this bed with three other people and we all fit just fine!" The Berserker exclaimed before quickly clamming his mouth shut.

"Forget I said that!" The Berserker yelped then looked away to hide his reddening face. No doubt Hiccup was not going to question the elephant in the room.

"You slept with three people at once? On the bed I've been sleeping on?" The Hooligan asked with a raspy voice and gestured his hands towards the bed.

"T-That's irrelevant…" Dagur stuttered, his expression frantically trying to hide the surging panic. "The point is- sleeping in a hammock is not the best for someone who has one leg."

Hiccup knew that the other man was not going to budge so he narrowed his eyes then crossed his arms, "Then I'll sleep on the floor."

"How's that any better?" The Berserker cried out angrily. The two men stared each other down for a moment, the air in the room was quickly filled with a cloying tension that would not go away.

"Dagur I really don't think it's necessary for us to argue about this. You sleep on the bed since you're injured, and I'll sleep on the floor and that's that." The Hooligan snapped and cut his right hand to the side.

"Fine!" Dagur bit out.

"Fine!" Hiccup bit back.

"Well your back won't be when it's aching all over." The Berserker pointed out before climbing on the bed carefully and lying on his right. It was childish.

They both were.

And all Hiccup would voice out was a "Ugh" before taking some spare sheets folded neatly at the end of the bed and laying it on the hard-wooden floor, frowning all the way.

When he was finally settled, he realized that the lamp was still lit so he got up, trudged to the glowing item near the bed then blew it out.

Despite the cover of darkness, the burning anger within both men lingered like an inextinguishable lamp flame. They both tried as hard as they could, even as far as squeezing their eyes shut to fall asleep. But they couldn't.

There was always something soothing about the sounds that a rocking ship made. The waves splashing against the hull and the creaking of wood gradually drained the fight within both men. It wasn't long before sleep eventually claimed them both however there was something that sat in Dagur's mouth which needed to be heard.

"Hiccup…are you awake?" The Berserker called out almost like a whisper. He did not move a single muscle nor heard the other man stir.

The thought of Hiccup already asleep occurred to him so he shut his eyes, only to spring right open when Hiccup responded.

"Yes Dagur?" The Hooligan answered who remained stationary as well.

"I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier." The Berserker did not hesitate to reply as the thought that sat in his mind yearned for attention.

A pregnant pause passed before Hiccup answered, "I'm sorry too."

"It's just-," Dagur interjected as he had an idea of where Hiccup was taking this. "I feel bad that you're sleeping on the floor while I'm up here. It doesn't seem right is all…"

A small chuckle left Hiccup for a moment before he replied, "Don't be."

He heard the redhead shuffle on the floor and he could feel Hiccup's eyes on him, "You're hurt and besides, I've had my share of sleeping on the bed and being taken care of..."

The room went silent for a moment as both men replayed the memories in the island cave. Gulping, Hiccup felt the Berserker's eyes pressing on him too before he continued, "It's your turn."

With that, nothing more was said though there were even more things that sat in their minds than before. More questions filled their minds but at least they didn't keep them awake any longer. Not when the gentle splashing of the water and the rocking of the ship carried the chieftains to sleep.

In the morning, Dagur found himself alone in his bedchamber. Eyes barely open, Dagur staggered out to the deck where he saw Hiccup whose back was turned against him.

"Good morning." Dagur greeted but it made the other man yelp in surprise. Composing himself, Hiccup greeted in return, his Night Fury appearing behind Dagur to join its rider's side.

"How'd you sleep?" The Berserker asked and noticed the slouch in Hiccup's posture.

"I slept great! Sleeping on the floor isn't all that bad." A forced smile appeared on Hiccup's face to be expected.

Scowling, Dagur placed his right hand on his hip and raised an eyebrow, "You're lying." He stated.

"What? No! Really it's okay!" Hiccup exclaimed but then Toothless nudged his back which made cracking sounds from top to bottom.

"Ow!" The lanky brunet exclaimed then rubbed his lower back before snapping a look at his dragon.

"Toothless!"

Shaking his head, Dagur tutted, "Right…" before walking away, rolling his eyes.

Throughout the day, Dagur carried this impression as Hiccup struggled to do the tasks around the boat. Equipment kept slipping out of Hiccup's grasp and grunts of pain were heard from his lips for most of the day. Even Dagur couldn't keep a steady hand on his work as most of the time, he was observing Hiccup in case he hurt himself.

By nightfall, Dagur had enough and retired to the quarters for a moment before returning to approach the other chief. The Berserker found the Hooligan limping and almost as slouched as a hunchback at this rate.

"Come with me." Dagur ordered and caught the other man's attention.

The brunet raised a brow before he asked, "What? Why?"

"Just come!" Dagur ordered again but this time, grasping the other man's wrist and taking him within the ship. From the pattering sounds of feet, Dagur knew that Toothless followed them but stopped at the door despite growling in concern for its rider's wellbeing.

However, by now, Dagur also knew that the dragon trusted him enough to entrust its rider. When they reached the bedchamber, the room was just as Dagur prepared it. There were some incenses and candles lit around the bed, but the lamps were out. The room was filled by the wafting smell of incense which helped Dagur relaxed when meditating and during other things.

Things that he was about to do with Hiccup.

"What's all this for?" Hiccup asked suspiciously.

The Berserker's expression remained stern and commanding before he uttered, "Strip."

In surprise, Hiccup stammered, "What? Why?"

"Take off your shirt. You'll need it off for what we're about to do." Dagur commanded again as if this was something he was accustomed to ordering.

"Dagur, I dunno what you're thinking so you're gonna have to explain a few things before ordering me to strip." Hiccup took a step back as worry crawled on his spine like a spider clumsily trapped in its own web.

The burly redhead rolled his eyes before conceding to reply, "Ugh fine."

"Back on my island, apart from learning medicine, I took on a mentor to teach me the elegant art of massage therapy."

This time, it was Hiccup who raised a brow. "Massage therapy? You?" he asked.

"As you know, we Berserkers love to train for combat which leaves us with aching muscles. And so, our island has massage therapy as one of its popular trades." Dagur explained with a finger pointing up.

"Are you saying…you want to give me a massage?" Hiccup's voice almost went high pitched at the end.

"Yep. Since this morning, I can tell you've been aching all over, so I thought I'd help ease the pain." The redhead elaborated before gesturing his hand at Hiccup, "And if you go on like this, you're bound to get hurt. Massage therapy helps reduce the risk of injury you know. Plus, I've been told I'm pretty good with my hands."

A wide smile appeared on the other man's face as he wriggled his brows.

Shaking his head, Hiccup held his elbows and replied, "Yeah I'm sorry Dagur but I don't think this is happening."

"Why not?" The Berserker asked.

"Because- last time I checked you need both hands to be a masseur-," Hiccup replied, pointing at Dagur's injured left arm.

"I don't need both hands, I only need one and it'll be amazing! I promise-,"

Hiccup cut him off then exclaimed, "Even so it's awkward!"

"Awkward? How? I'm only looking out for your wellbeing!" The Berserker spat out, but rage boiled in Hiccup's veins.

"Well my wellbeing can do without a massage!"

The lanky brunet snapped out before exiting the room and slamming the door behind.

When he returned later that night, the Berserker was already asleep, back turned against the door. The candles were blown, and the smell of incense gradually disappeared by the second. Hiccup crept to his bed like when he was younger and sneaking into the forest to meet Toothless. Lying down, a deep and heavy sigh left him as he slowly closed his eyes.

Without a shadow of a doubt, guilt festered in his gut, a common tale of late. Tried as Hiccup might, he could not bring himself to sleep. No matter how many times he turned and squeezed his eyes, the fact remained that he was troubled.

A pinching and gritty sensation of guilt lurked in his conscience and nagged him awake, possibly yearning until dawn.

Come morning and Hiccup found himself without sleep, sitting on the floor. He watched the sun's rays pierce through the windows and cracks of the walls. Without looking at a mirror, there were certainly dark circles under his eyes. When Hiccup heard the other man stir, he turned to Dagur's direction and greeted, "Morning."

Dagur faced him but made no comment on his appearance then replied, "Morning…"

A moment passed, Dagur yawned and stretched but careful not to trigger his wounds. The men did not speak but again, they could practically hear each other think. It was beginning to be a regular thing between them.

Humbling himself, Hiccup sucked in a breath and turned to the Berserker again, "Hey Dagur, listen about last night-,"

Dagur quickly interjected, "No need to explain, I was out of line and should respect your boundaries. I'm sorry."

"No, I should be the one to say sorry, I was out of line." Hiccup shook his head, "You were just trying to help, and I was a total jerk about it."

"But-," Dagur tried objecting but the other man interjected again.

"No- No buts just please accept it." The Berserker observed Hiccup's expression carefully and eventually conceded with a sigh.

"Okay." The Berserker muttered softly in a whisper, "I only offered the massage because I thought you really needed it since you've been doing most of the hard work with sailing the ship and stuff. I just know how physically taxing that can be and I feel so guilty for not being able to help more."

"But you do!" Hiccup exclaimed as if Dagur's proclamation was crime in his ears. "You already do so much with the state you're in."

"But it's not enough!" The Berserker bit back.

"It is Dag-,"

"No, it's not!" Dagur cut him off then glanced down on his injured arm. "I hate being like this! I hate being a burden to you!"

Shaking his head, Hiccup tried to interject again, "You're not a burden-,"

But the Berserker's voice boomed across the room, perhaps throughout the entire vessel, "I am! Look, when we started this mission, I swore to myself that I would be able to handle anything that comes our way!"

"But now…" With a furrowed brow and a deep scowl, the Berserker struggled to get the words that had been clouding his conscience for a while, "Now…I'm just a liability."

Hiccup remained silent for a moment and let Dagur's words marinate in his mind. The Berserker did not say a word, his expression filled with sadness, and strangely some relief perhaps from the admission.

"Don't ever say that." Hiccup could only mutter in a whisper, wary that the Berserker could interrupt again. However, Dagur kept his lips sealed shut.

"When I lost my leg, a part of me felt even less of a chief, even less than a person. I thought that on top of how other people already see me, this-," Using both hands, Hiccup gestured at his left leg then continued, "-was only gonna make things worse."

"But I was wrong. People didn't think of me any less after losing my leg. They respected me even more for how I lost it. Not a single person blamed me because they all knew that I lost it for their sake, for trying to save everyone." Hiccup's eyes wandered up to empty space as memories of his fight against the Red Death and saving the dragons rushed through his mind and even made his left leg twinge. The memory might be distant, but the body could remember it so well like it happened yesterday.

"And that's how I know that my sacrifice was not in vain." The brunet added then turned to the Berserker before getting up and approaching the other man. Hiccup felt that Dagur's gaze never left him as he climbed on the bed to sit on the end.

"It's the same with you. You're injured for trying to save me when I was unable to save myself. I'm forever thankful for what you did so don't count that as nothing." Sliding closer, Hiccup placed a gentle hand on Dagur's shoulder, "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here so please, don't be so hard on yourself. You will get better and things will get better. Until then, allow me to take care of you. To return the favor."

A small smile appeared on Hiccup's face and soon the Berserker's did the same.

"And you're not a burden at all. Not even close. We couldn't have made it this far without your help."

They were both smiling now when Dagur replied, "Thanks Hiccup."

With a slight nod, Hiccup removed his hand and breathed deeply for what he was about to say next. "Tell you what, if it makes you feel better, I'd like it if you can give me a massage."

The redhead went wide eyed at the sudden suggestion, "What? Are you sure?"

"Yeah I'm sure!" Hiccup nodded with a bright smile though panic pinched his insides.

"Really?" Dagur raised a brow in uncertainty. "Last night, you said it's awkward."

"Well…I can't guarantee that it won't be but still I'm willing to give it a shot…" Hiccup rubbed the back of his head as he suppressed his thoughts from going to places they shouldn't be. "Like you said before, it'll help reduce the risk of injury. And we can't have that now, especially since we're about to reach Avatross."

"That makes sense…" Dagur muttered then looked away as he thought about it.

"Yeah, a little therapy would be good, maybe tonight? What do you say?" Hiccup asked.

A few seconds passed with Dagur staring blankly at Hiccup before he exclaimed with a wide grin, "It's a deal!"

The Berserker got up, excitedly beckoned to start the day with breakfast. All the while, Hiccup pushed and pressed on the voice in his head that told him to take everything he said back, at least to the part where he agreed to a massage. A massage from Dagur in fact.

 _What in gods was he thinking?_

It was a strange thing when one did not want something to come to pass, it came swifter than anything they could imagine. That was what it was like of how Hiccup spent the rest of the day. All day, he tried to keep it together and by keeping it together, he meant not looking at Dagur's general direction and making every single conversation as brief as possible. The other man began to speculate something by midday, but Hiccup denied it of course, he said he was fine and blamed it on the lack of sleep.

When in fact, it was a half-lie.

The Berserker seemed to buy it since he pressed no further and kept to his work. However, when evening arrived, the redhead confirmed if Hiccup was sure about the session by which the Hooligan replied with a 'yes'. Dagur nodded quite unsurely then disappeared to the cabins right before the lanky brunet slapped himself in the forehead.

Soon after the Berserker summoned the other man who asked for a few more minutes to himself. Dagur nodded then went back in the cabin without another word.

One could whiff the pungent scent of incense in the cabin's hall. Hiccup headed to the bedchamber as slowly as possible and when he opened the door, the room was just how it was yesterday when Dagur prepared it the first time. The lamps were unlit, but the room was illuminated enough by the candle flames which flickered and danced with the air's movement.

"Welcome." Dagur greeted with a wide smile like one of his Berserker men greeting Hiccup and the riders to their Island.

"Can you please take off your shirt and lie on the bed on your stomach?" Dagur asked then turned around to face the other way, "If you're nervous, then I won't look."

"Dagur, you've seen me shirtless before." Hiccup commented then the Berserker turned to his side to respond.

"I know, but I figured that giving you some privacy might ease off your anxiety."

"Anxiety? Who says I'm anxious?" Hiccup's voice went high at the end, more than he liked and it made him bite his bottom lip. Dagur merely glanced a knowing look to his side before turning away.

Hiccup said nothing more and proceeded to remove his garments then his shirt. He could hear his heart beat in his ear and breathing hitch. Swallowing once more, he climbed onto the bed then laid on his stomach and placed the side of his face on the pillow which was placed close to the edge of the bed.

"I'm ready." Hiccup stated then the Berserker turned around with a blank expression before a faint hint of a smile began to form.

"Good, let's get started."

Dagur walked over to Hiccup then started explaining what massage therapy was, its origins and who taught him how to do it. According to Dagur, some of the techniques were learned from the far Eastern Reaches, possibly even further than Avatross.

Though Hiccup knew this was Dagur's way of dampening the awkwardness of the room, he couldn't bring himself to remove his eyes from Dagur's hands. And the fact that he opened a small jar that contained a clear liquid substance which he began applying on his hands. Amidst his thinking, Hiccup missed what Dagur said about the liquid and he certainly missed the part where Dagur warned him that it was cold.

The sensation made him tingle from head to his curling toes.

After a while, Dagur's strong fingers pressed on Hiccup's back muscles all the way from neck to the lower back. It was strange. All too strange for Hiccup.

For no one had ever touched him like this or ever given a massage apart from Astrid. During those times, it would lead to intimacy with one another. And this was not an intimate moment for Hiccup at all.

Not at all.

But it was certainly relaxing. The way Dagur's fingers and palm moved and pressed and slid on Hiccup's back made Hiccup's eyes roll to the back of his head in pleasure and relief.

At times, the Berserker was slow and gentle but there were times when Dagur's strength certainly showed as even the tightest knots in Hiccup's back gradually loosened, much faster than when Astrid did it.

Eventually, Hiccup found himself drooling on the pillow, but he dared not move since he was afraid Dagur might notice his bliss covered expression. Besides, the Berserker was too busy chatting his ear off with calming thoughts and meditation advices. There was even something about asking Hiccup a question which the Hooligan was unable to register as sleep eventually claimed him like an old friend.

"Hiccup?"

Dagur called out to the other man but realized that he had fallen asleep. The brunet snored gently with a bit of drool pooled on his cheek which Dagur thought was funny yet alluring. Dagur had thought that Hiccup wouldn't be able to stay up late after the massage since he said he did not get much sleep last night. However, Dagur didn't expect for Hiccup to fall asleep during the massage itself.

The other chief was certainly out cold leaving Dagur with the question of what to do next.

One by one, Dagur put away the ointments and oils that he used and blew the candles around the room except for the ones next to the bed. He turned to the hammock which hung cold in the other side of the room then moved his gaze on the floor where Hiccup slept on yesterday.

A part of Dagur told him to wake Hiccup up because they agreed that he was supposed to sleep on the bed. Hiccup was so adamant with it that Dagur knew there could be trouble if he did not act now.

However, a part of Dagur told him that Hiccup needed the sleep and it'd be wrong to wake the other man.

In the end, Dagur blew the last few candles around the bed before carefully climbing onto the bed and laying on the side closest to the wall to leave as much space between him and Hiccup as possible. His face was almost pressed against the wooden wall.

For a moment, Dagur thought about his decision and the possible repercussions at dawn.

But then, he remembered that he was tired, and they were tomorrow's problems. And tomorrow could wait because for now, he was enjoying the blissful fact that he had helped Hiccup somehow.

One way or another.

 **End of Chapter 9.**


	10. Dancing Shadows

**Chapter 10 – Dancing Shadows**

When Hiccup thought of bliss, he thought of soaring in the sky on Toothless' back with the soft and fluffy clouds under his feet. At times, he thought of Astrid's smile or the smiles of his friends and family, side by side as if all their problems were as far away as possible, hidden underneath the white and gray clouds. Every now and then, Hiccup could dream about nice things, things that weren't always about devastation and loss, or about the Edge and his dad. At times, there was just peace and tranquility, of arms wrapping around him then pulling him close until his back was pressed against Astrid and her warm bosom.

Keenly expecting softness, Hiccup instead felt his back press against something rugged and solid, and the arms wrapped around him were muscular and veiny. He felt prickly hairs brush against the back of his neck then he remembered that Astrid didn't have a beard, nor muscly arms nor a rugged torso.

Glancing back, Hiccup realized that the person pressed against his back was not his blonde and endearing fiancée but none other than the redheaded Berserker who smiled at him fondly as if what they were doing was nothing unusual.

Nothing unusual at all.

"Gah!" Hiccup yelped out, heart beating rapidly as if it was ready to burst out of his chest. The nightmare flickered and seethed in his mind so vividly that he thought it was a memory. It took him a few seconds to compose and remind himself that it wasn't real that he was asleep and nothing more.

Suddenly, the sheets beside him rustled as they shuffled. Even in the darkness, Hiccup could tell that something or rather someone laid beside him, snoring softly and large. Hiccup knew he was on a bed since there were sheets on him however he did not remember not having his shirt on before going to sleep, then he remembered that he didn't go to sleep last night as usual.

For right now, he was on Dagur's bed with a definitely asleep Dagur who snored ever so softly without a care in the world, or a care of what was clearly a mistake.

"Oh my Thor! Dagur! Wake up!" Hiccup quickly reached over to the other man's thick shoulder that barely budged at his nudge.

"Wake up!" Hiccup exclaimed, and the redhead stirred slightly before his eyes suddenly burst open. "Wha- What? Are we under attack?"

"No! But soon you'll be!" the brunet bit out at Dagur whose eyelids began gradually closing.

"What are you talking about?" A loud yawn quickly escaped the Berserker which could probably be heard by the dragons outside.

The Hooligan abrasively gestured both hands toward Dagur, "This! What're you doing?"

"I was sleeping, I thought that was fairly obvious." Dagur spat out with a raised brow.

"I know that! But you're here!" The brunet searched the room frantically as if it wasn't already obvious. "Sleeping here and next to me!"

"Yeah and so?" The Berserker asked.

"So how did this happen?"

Rolling his eyes even at his state, Dagur huffed for a moment before answering, "You fell asleep while I was giving you a massage remember?"

"I did?" With hands gently roaming over his body, Hiccup gasped abruptly at the sudden realization that he was without a shirt. Frantically searching through the sheets despite being covered with darkness, panic and embarrassment filled Hiccup's conscience like a cup being overfilled.

"Oh gods! Why didn't you wake me up?" he asked the Berserker with an accusative tone.

"Because for the same reason why you don't wake people up who are sleeping! Now for Thor's sake could you pipe down and relax? Some of us are trying to get some sleep!" Dagur grunted bluntly then turned to his side so his back faced Hiccup like earlier.

The Hooligan searched for the words to reply, perhaps another witty or snarky remark but not a single word left his lips. However, a guttural sound left his lips, "Augh!" before he turned his back at the other man and prayed that this never happened and that it was all a dream.

It wasn't long before sleep took Hiccup as his soft snores moved throughout the room and into Dagur's ears, which pleased the redhead. A pleased sigh escaped the Berserker at the thought that he didn't have to explain more to the other man, explain that just before Hiccup woke up, their bodies were pressed up against each other. They were two peas in a pod when Dagur abruptly woke up and realized that their limbs were entwined like a bundle of twigs in a camp site.

The Berserker quickly pulled away and pretended to be asleep while his heart pounded ceremonial drums, signaling his upcoming execution at the hands of Hiccup Haddock. Thankfully, the gods were watching over him or perhaps toying with him. He could only hope for the former.

Daybreak and SS Beowulf creaked sounds which sent shivers throughout the dragons' scales as they watched their riders avoid each other in a symbiotic system of sinister silence. The morning sun could not warm the chilly atmosphere that set on the sails and seeped into the room, ghostly perpetrating the wooden structure and causing it to cry out with rickety sounds.

Hiccup appeared from the ship's hull with a thunder cloud hanging over his head. He wished to carry this cloud to a certain Berserker who was humming to himself on the deck. The dragons noticed Hiccup's presence and slightly inched back, wary of the impending doom.

The Berkian chief stopped beside Dagur, his face creased from the bubbling rage. "We need to talk." He said. The Berserker raised a brow momentarily before a faint smirk appeared on his face.

"Good morning to you too." Dagur greeted as bright as the morning sun.

"Last night…" Before Hiccup could continue, the Berserker abruptly interrupted. "Ah!" Dagur exclaimed, placing a finger on Hiccup's lips to silence him.

"Hold on a sec, answer my question first- how're you feeling by the way?" Dagur asked with a raised brow then added, "Physically that is."

"Good…well ummm" Hiccup scratched the back of his head then continued lowly, pinched by an acute sensation of remorse, "...better actually…"

"Good. I'm glad to know." The Berserker commented and crossed his arms.

Shaking his head, Hiccup glanced back to the redhead, "But that's not what I want to talk to you about."

"Mhm?" Dagur hummed and crouched down to remove several ropes left on the floor yesterday. He carried them while Hiccup followed suit.

"Well uhh, you see- ehem…last night was uhh…" Though the words were as fresh in Hiccup's memory since he rehearsed them earlier, they seem to get caught at his throat. It probably had something to do with Dagur's damn smirk.

"Awkward." Dagur turned to him with that smirk again.

"Yes! To say the least…" Hiccup pointedly stated to the bigger man as he would to the troublesome twins back in Berk. "You could've woken me up…you should've-,"

"Should've what?" Dagur abruptly dropped the ropes atop one of the barrels with a thud. "Disturb a person who was fast asleep and isn't in anyone's way whatsoever?"

A second of silence passed before Hiccup answered, "Well- yes!"

"Oh really?" Dagur asked.

"Well of course not! But that's beside the point! You know that's not what I mean!" The frustration began to crawl up to Hiccup's nerves and it made his voice louder and more demanding.

"Then what is it? Oh please tell me Hiccup. What person wakes up another person who is sound asleep?" Angrily, Dagur gestured his hands together as if they were holding an invisible box from one side and carried it to another.

"I was not content!" Hiccup refuted.

"Oh you were! I saw the look on your face, and you were so cute like an angel." Dagur's eyes went wide and doe-like as the redhead described the other man.

Flabbergasted, a large scowl appeared on Hiccup's expression then he questioned, "Angel?"

Dagur could merely roll his eyes before shaking his head and stomped toward their chamber. Noticing that the other man had left, Hiccup cried out, "Dagur wait! We're not done here!" He ran quickly, his metal stump thumping on the wooden surface as heavy as the burly man, making the candle sticks rattle. Unable to find another way out, the Berserker turned around to confront Hiccup with sharp eyes. "Ugh fine! What do you want me to say? Apologize?"

"No- I mean it's not….I just-," Amidst the sequence of Hiccup's stuttering, Dagur bit his cheek as his defensive words tried to slip through his lips. Hiccup looked up to him. "How are you so okay with this?"

A nerve twitched in Dagur's temple, "Well why wouldn't I be? We just slept in the same bed and nothing else. There should be nothing to worry about."

"Look, since you're clearly very uncomfortable with it then fine, tonight I'll sleep on the floor. I don't care!"

"Why are you mad?" Hiccup angrily asked.

"Because you're being so difficult! You're going crazy over sleeping in the same bed with someone which I'm sure you've done plenty of times with Astrid." Dagur gestured both hands at the bed.

"Well of course it's different! Sleeping in the same bed with you is completely different as sleeping in it with Astrid!" Hiccup exclaimed.

"Alright but how is that a problem? It's not like it'll hurt anyone if we bunked together."

"Oh I'm sure that's what you said to all the people you've taken to bed before!" The words immediately brought forth regret before Hiccup could take them back.

"I-I didn't mean that-,"

With a sharp glare and a grunt, Dagur shoved past Hiccup's shoulder, stomped to the door and slammed it shut. Hiccup's hand met his forehead followed by a guttural groan.

At the deck, Hiccup found the other man whose forearms resting on the port and eyes fixed to the horizon. Hiccup silently approached Dagur then broke the silence with an apology. "I'm sorry…"

The other man removed their eyes from the horizon then to the side, "For what?"

"For what I said. I didn't mean it. I shouldn't have said it."

Dagur glanced over the other man with a serious countenance, "Mean it or not, there is some truth to it."

"I have been with plenty of people before, it's not really that outrageous for my people to know that their Chief gets around." Dagur paused.

"But that doesn't mean that I'd do the same to you."

Nodding, Hiccup stated, "Yes you're right. You're absolutely right and I was wrong. I shouldn't have presumed that about you or blow things out of proportion…"

"I'm just- I'm still getting used to the idea."

The gust of sea breeze swept the deck as the two men momentarily until Dagur's lips formed a flat slant. "That's understandable. It's not every day you hear the sexcapades of Dagur the Deranged. I don't blame you for being cautious."

"And I can assure you. I would never intentionally bring you to a compromising situation."

Without a shred of doubt in Hiccup's core, the lanky chief smiled back and replied, "Thanks. I trust you." This brought a wider grin on the Berserker's face.

Total equilibrium returned to SS Beowulf for the rest of the day. Both chiefs busied themselves with managing the ship and more cartography from the Berserker dragon eye lens. Line after line, Hiccup sketched until he could get the thought that had been gnawing at him. It wasn't until dinner, under the starry night and blackened sea did Hiccup mustered the courage to approach the Berserker with his thoughts.

They were having some chicken and vegetable broth soup and Dagur had just finished his story regarding babysitting Gustav as favor for Stoick when Hiccup started, "Hey Dagur, if you don't mind me asking…"

"Yes Hiccup?" The redhead took a sip of broth from his spoon.

"I was wondering, about what you said earlier, about getting around." Suddenly the Berserker started coughing profusely as if he had just swallowed his spoon as an accident. When he recovered, he cleared his throat and glanced at Hiccup with a more worried expression than the other man.

"Uh what about it?"

"I know you're sometimes quite forward about things…"

"Yeah, well it's kinda easy having very little sense of boundaries when you're deranged." Dagur tapped his right temple with his index finger.

"Right."

"Why do you ask?"

Hiccup sheepishly turned away and tried to find the answer from the deck's floor. "Well…it's just…um it would explain why you're so relaxed about the whole sleeping in the same bed as another guy-uh person- I mean!"

Questioningly, Dagur raised a brow and placed his bowl on his lap. The dragons had finished their meal and were staring at their rider's exchange attentively. They seemed quite averse to the pauses their riders made and ensured to remain silent as if they sensed the tension accurately.

"I see." Dagur said.

"It's not that I'm assuming or anything! I guess what I'm trying to say is-,"

Dagur cut Hiccup off to ask, "You're wondering if I've been with a man before?"

"Yes-," Hiccup answered quickly, "I mean- not that being comfortable sleeping in the same bed as another man means that you've been with another man before but-,"

"Yes." Dagur cut him off again.

"I'm not- what?"

The Berserker turned to the other man solemnly, the bowl on his lap began to grow cold by the second, "I said yes, Hiccup. I've been with a man before. Many I should say."

Hiccup was unable to stop his jaw from dropping as for some reason, inappropriate images involving Dagur and random strangers appeared in his thoughts.

Suddenly, Dagur grabbed his attention.

"Is something the matter?"

Quickly trying to erase his imagination into thin air, Hiccup shook his head back to reality. "No! Nothing's wrong. Why would there be?"

Dagur couldn't help let a scoff escape before he explained, "Because you look like you just heard bad news."

"No! It's not like that! It's just- I'm surprised that's all." Shrugging his shoulders, Hiccup slumped as remorse swam and coaxed his conscience in his gut. Dagur cleared his throat and straightened his back. "Yeah it's not exactly something Heather and I would bring up when we see you guys."

Wide eyed and brows raised, Hiccup asked, "Wait Heather knows?"

"Of course she does, she's my sister! I share everything with her, within _reason_ that is." Dagur promptly moved his gaze to the side then he continued, "So do the Berserkers and a lot of people actually. I don't see why I need to hide it if anyone asks."

"Oh…"

Like clockwork, worry began to fester in Dagur's conscience, "Does that worry you or make you uncomfortable?"

Hiccup began to reply as softly as the information registered within, "No…"

"Did I break your trust perhaps?" Dagur asked which made Hiccup furiously shake his head.

"No! Not in the least! It's just, this is news to me. I thought- actually I dunno what I thought." The Berkian chief scratched his scalp to wonder before turning to the Berserker whose countenance remained sullen by worry. "I guess I thought after all this time and everything we went through, I would've known…I feel kinda bad actually for not asking sooner."

Relief spread in the Berserker's chest. Dagur forced himself to hide the faint smile that tried to form on his face. "Don't be. It's perfectly understandable. I don't think you've had much experience with people who are interested in the same or both genders. We may not be the majority, but we definitely exist."

"You're right…but I'm glad you shared this with me. It means a lot knowing more about you." This time, Hiccup was smiling at the Berserker and the air around them seemed to be more breathable by the second. Dagur perked up and the Berkian chief could now notice the shining smile appear on the other man.

"You're always welcome. I just hope this won't change anything between us."

A small chuckle left Hiccup then he reassured, "Of course not! Nothing's changed. In fact, I think things are better than before."

Dagur nodded and responded, "Good."

Under the darkness of the night, the two men failed to notice their dragons sharing a quick glance at each other. The scaly winged beasts shook their heads and moved their eyes back to their riders who exchanged gentle smiles as they cleared their dinner.

No less than half an hour, the men retired to their dimly lit bedchamber. Even inside, the cold ghosted through the walls and filled their lungs with chilly air. It didn't bother the two men as something else did.

"So umm, I'm guessing you'll be sleeping on the floor tonight?" Dagur turned to the brunet and asked.

Swallowing hard, Hiccup answered. "No, I won't."

"Really?"

Smiling, Hiccup reassured, "Yeah, really."

"You don't think it'll be weird?" The redhead gestured his hand toward the bed.

"Of course not! I'm not gonna sleep on the floor just because of what you told me."

With a raised brow, the muscular man said, "Yeah but I hope you're not choosing to sleep on the bed just to prove that you're okay with what I said to you."

Hiccup's face creased at the very accusation, "No! Of course not! That'd be even worse than being not okay about it upfront. Look, I'm more than happy to sleep on the bed since it'll really help with my back."

With a slight head tilt, Dagur answered, "If you say so."

Deafening silence shrouded the room and the two men began to slowly remove their garments. Dagur didn't even have to ask as Hiccup helped him change into more comfortable clothes to sleep in. The Berserker tried his best to control the burning sensation beating from his chest to other parts of his body.

He turned away from the light, hoping that the other man could not see the color that sprang from his cheeks, possibly redder than his hair. Fortunately, Hiccup didn't seem to notice as he gently and gracefully continued with his task. Hiccup only paused to tell Dagur to go to bed first since he'd be responsible for the light.

Dagur swallowed thickly and agreed.

When Hiccup finished with Dagur, he started to change into more comfortable clothes as well. Out of respect for the other man's privacy, Dagur made sure to look away and made his way to the bed cat-like, seen but not heard.

Dagur's breathing got harder and that was all he was going to describe about himself and nothing more. Certainly not hot and bothered about anything else nor wide eyed with confusion as to why his body was reacting this way. Dagur carefully laid to the farthest side of the bed, to the side closest to the wall. Even though he mentioned before that the bed had more than enough space for them both, Dagur shuffled hastily until he could feel his heavy breath pushed back from the wall.

The shadow on the wall etched into Hiccup's shape. The shadow moved as one who undressed would on the wall and somehow, Dagur could not remove his eyes from it. The heat from his body somehow intensified at every sound of shuffling and every movement of the shadow cast over the wall.

It made the hairs on his neck feel sensitive to every movement of the air. Suddenly, the shuffling sound of Hiccup's clothes stopped then Hiccup's shadow moved from one side of the room to extinguish one of the candles. Darkness draped that part of the room. It reached over to Dagur the more candles extinguished until the one next to the bed was left.

The bed started to move once Hiccup's weight pressed onto it, yet it somehow made Dagur's condition worse. The redhead was accustomed to having men in his bed before but somehow tonight was different. Somehow the deliberate presence of Hiccup made it different and Dagur could only bite his lip out of frustration. His heart thumped against his rib cage, almost ready to burst out and made the blood vessels madly throb throughout his body.

Once Hiccup laid on the bed, he blew the light off and Dagur could no longer see his shadow on the wall.

A heavy sigh escaped Hiccup, the exhaustion of the day left his body and left room for recovery to begin. However, neither men felt the other asleep. Each one had their eyes wide open in the dark, staring at a thought they could not see.

"So…" Hiccup broke the silence.

As if a heavy weight was lifted off Dagur, he replied, "So?"

"I was wondering…" Hiccup answered like a whisper.

Dagur couldn't help but give a chuckle then stated, "You do that a lot."

Hiccup sneered at Dagur for the comment but said nothing about it to continue, "What's it like…" He paused for a moment, "being romantic to a lot- I mean- several people?"

Dagur turned, shifting his body along carefully to not trigger his injury. Though he could not see the other man's face except for the silhouette made from the light of the moon outside, he could tell that their faces met. "I'll have you know that I'm not always romantic to people I have join my extra-curricular activities. Sometimes we just cut to the chase and get on with the hot stuff-,"

Hiccup had to interrupt, "Okay thanks but let's leave it at that."

"You asked."

"Right…"

Another moment passed before Dagur could question, "Why do you ask?" He was thankful at least for the room's change of mood. Talking was good.

Talking was a useful distraction from whatever it was that made his skin burn and breath heavy.

"Well I…I dunno, I'm curious that's all." Hiccup replied.

"Curious on how different it is? I thought you'd be used to it given how you're usually around Snothat, Snot-something…anyway, my point is, when I get the chance, I find a willing partner or a few. I don't think of it more than just sex really." Dagur answered.

"Hm I see…" Hiccup's response was somewhat bordering between disappointed and perplexed. Even though Dagur did not know what the other man was thinking, he could tell plenty of thinking was happening at that very moment.

"But that doesn't mean that I can't be romantic. I know I may not look it but I'm a hopeless romantic at heart." Dagur bit his tongue as soon as he said it.

"Really?" Dagur felt the bed shuffle as if Hiccup turned his whole body to his direction.

"I have witnesses." The redhead answered sleazily and wriggled his eyebrows. He made smacking sounds with his mouth as if he was kissing someone which he knew would make Hiccup uneasy.

"Okay! I believe you!" Hiccup exclaimed. "You know there's a thing called being too forward you know."

"I know…" Dagur gave himself an internal high five. Only for a moment could Dagur relish in the hype as his own words quickly bounced from darkness.

"To tell you the truth, I wasn't always comfortable sharing this side of me you know?"

Hiccup didn't answer but it didn't bother Dagur.

"I wasn't telling the whole truth earlier about being comfortable with who I am because even though my tribe changed for the better, I still wasn't comfortable being open with what I do with other guys when no one's looking." Dagur muttered to himself softly as if Hiccup wasn't in the room at all. "I try to hide it by being with several women but it wasn't the same. It was like living in fear of what people thought and most of all…living in fear of what I was. I mean can you blame me?"

Flashes of Dagur's past suddenly appeared in Dagur's mind. They manifested in the darkness and yearned. "I already had a history of being bad…now that I had the respect of my people, I didn't wanna lose it. I did everything I could to protect this new me because I was scared…"

"It wasn't until Heather found out…caught me in the act rather, that I started to reconcile with this part of me. I was so surprised with how supportive she was. And it was with her that I started to be upfront with my interests in men. Eventually, everything simply fell in place. Well, it helped that she threatened anyone who had a problem with me."

"I can see that." Hiccup responded and nodded.

Dagur removed his eyes from Hiccup's silhouette and stared at the ceiling as if interrogating it to give him answers. He wanted it to give him the words to admit his deepest thoughts. "It was even more surprising on how easy it got since then. Everyone was so supportive, my men, my people and even some traders. I guess the only one who had the biggest issue with it was me."

Even though Hiccup didn't respond, somehow Dagur had the feeling the other man was listening to every word he said. That even though their circumstances were quite different, Dagur knew this was something that Hiccup knew all too well. If everything he'd known about Hiccup recently was that they were the types to resort to self-pitying.

"Well that's in the past now. I've moved on and happy as can be." Though they left his lips, Dagur was not convinced about anything of what he said. So, he turned to his side again facing Hiccup and asked, "How about you Hiccup?"

"What about me?" Hiccup asked.

"Well I've been sharing all this personal stuff about me, it's your turn. That's usually how it goes with friends right? Unless you don't wanna share anything then I won't force you."

Hiccup replied, "No, it's alright. You're not forcing me…ask away."

Dagur paused for a second to swallow thickly then continued, "I dunno what will happen in Avatross but I know that when we come back, you'll marry Astrid and produce an heir to your throne. Are you happy with that upcoming stage in your life?"

Hiccup let out a chuckle before answering. "If Astrid doesn't kill me first for lying to her, then that'll probably happen."

"Hiccup for what it's worth, I'm sure she'll go after me too." Both men shared a laugh which they're sure their dragons would hear from outside if they were awake.

"I guess I am…" Hiccup paused again. "Happy that is…"

"You don't sound so sure." Dagur adjudged.

"Well- to be honest…" Hiccup searched an answer for a moment.

"You're right. I'm not so sure because- I have this feeling in my gut, this sinking feeling that when all is said and done and I marry Astrid, I may have even less time to spend with Toothless and exploring. Already my schedules are packed with being a chieftain, leading the way and bossing people around, there's very little time to do what I wanna do…"

Dagur turned to the other man again and this time, he wished he was not injured so he could do what he felt like doing. Or rather, he wished he could set his pride aside so he could coax the other man even from a single grasp. He pinned his will on his injury instead.

Suddenly, Hiccup shook his head then continued, "Don't get me wrong, I think Astrid's great and I'd like to be with her but I also know that being with her- committing to a marriage will definitely leave very little or no room to doing what I want. I know it's selfish since it's my responsibility as the chief to be there for his people but-,"

"No it's not." Dagur interrupted.

"Not what?" Hiccup asked.

"It's not entirely selfish to go after what you want, sure there will be people who'll be disappointed in you and it might even mess things up with being chief and all but, I think I'd rather that than live lying to myself. Everyday, for the rest of my life, I don't think I'd ever want to do that ever again."

The redhead glanced down even though there was nothing to see then he added, "And I think…I may be wrong, but I think you're quite like who I was back then, hiding what I truly feel about myself. I really think that you should be more open to others about how you really feel rather than let their expectations command you to doing what you don't want to do. Sure it'll be tough at first and it'll be really hard to deal with the disappointment however, if the people who love you, truly love you, they'll let you be happy. They'll let you be free."

"You're probably right but difference is you're lucky that you don't have to hide anything about yourself to anyone. Not anymore that is." Hiccup responded and somehow, it sent a stinging sensation within Dagur.

' _That's not entirely true.'_ The Berserker thought but yearned to say.

"Bah!" Hiccup exclaimed, "Maybe I'm just overthinking it. Astrid's great and my people need me. I think I'll learn how to be happy with it someday. Don't you think so?" he asked.

Dagur quickly buried his thoughts by keeping his eyes fixed at the ceiling then answered softly, "I think you will be. Very happy." He made sure that he did not look at the other man when he said it.

"Yeah…I think so too." Dagur heard Hiccup say in the darkness though not a single soul or ghost in the room was convinced.

Not at all.

 **End of Chapter 10.**


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